Slyinderella
by RiddlePhoenix
Summary: Christina Miro is the first Gryffindor in a pureblood Slytherin family in one hundred and eighty-nine years, as her parents never fail to remind her. But when she's forced to stay at Malfoy Manor with her personal enemy, Draco Malfoy, during the summer, relationships will change, ideals will shift, and two people will realize that sometimes it takes a war to finally find peace.
1. Malfoy Manor

**Disclaimer: J.K Rowling is a genius and I do not own/take credit for her wonderful work. Any ideas in this story are (most likely) her plots, characters, stories, and etc.**

**A/N: This was my first ever attempt at fanfiction. I started this about four years ago, and I finally got the guts to publish it. Before you read this story, listen to this IMPORTANT NOTE. THIS STORY WILL NOT FOLLOW THE DIRECT PLOT LINE OF HARRY POTTER. I took some parts of each book (mainly the 6th and 7th) and rearranged them in a way that works for the story. This is AU. BE AWARE. My OC is the fourth member to the 'golden trio', so all ideas will have similarities to the real HP plot line but I will also change many things. Well, you'll see if you choose to read. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. Even if you don't have questions and just wanna talk. PM me and I'll be happy to talk. Anyway, I'm rambling now. One last thing to say...ENJOY! Writing this story brings me incredible happiness, and I hope reading it gives you the same feeling.**

* * *

You know, usually I had a very calm temperament.

Er, well, that _may_ be an exaggeration, but I still always knew how to keep my cool.

However, if you added up all of the unfortunate factors in my life right now, no one could really blame me for the impending freak out I was about to experience.

"Christina, this is your _last_ warning. Your immaturity is absolutely appalling," My _wonderful_ mother's voice floated to the second level of the house, breaching my doorway and unfortunately, my eardrums.

I tried to keep my voice diplomatic and not betray the anger I was feeling, "Mum, I'm sixteen years old, I think I can stay on my own for a _month_."

There was almost an entire month left of summer, and my, I repeat, _wonderful_ parents decided to take a short vacation to, and I quote, "rekindle that sweet, sweet romance we once had."

Would it be okay if I obliviated myself from ever hearing that?

Instead of letting me stay by myself at our home, they decided to ship me off to Malfoy Manor for the rest of the summer before returning to Hogwarts. My father was close acquaintances with Lucius Malfoy, and he had agreed to let me stay until the school year, albeit reluctantly.

You would think that sounds reasonable, but there was one problem: Draco Malfoy.

I slowly opened my bedroom door enough to peek my head out. "If I said that I didn't want to go, would that have any kind of affect? Maybe sway your decision? Could I do something to persuade you? Clean the house? Cook dinner? Tap dance?"

"You are going whether you like it or not, Christina."

I jumped as I heard my father talk from behind me, after he apparated into my room.

An argument followed, or more precisely, I begged and pleaded on my knees while my father stared at me blankly. After I had finished humiliating myself in a final attempt to save myself from the Malfoys, I resigned to my fate.

There was one thing I knew for certain: this summer was gonna suck.

I met Draco Malfoy my first year at Hogwarts, and we didn't get along, to say the least. He struck me as an insufferable git who thought that the world rightfully owed him everything.

Granted, with my family being part of high class society so did they, but I never took after their views.

And this is where Draco and I differed. He firmly and irrevocably followed his parent's ways, while I deliberately and intentionally did _not_.

Now that we were in sixth year, we had kind of a war going on, and were always getting detentions together for cursing and hexing each other; basically trying to make each other as miserable as possible.

I glanced at my door in silent contemplation, trying to decide if building a barricade would be beneficial to my dilemma. The _Les Amis de l'ABC _in my favorite book, Les Miserables, had done it, but it didn't really work out in the end. I seriously needed to thank Hermione for lending me her copy of that book. It was brilliant.

So I gave in, trailing my suitcase down the steps and twisting my face in a mixture of anger and sadness as I reached my parents.

With one look at me, my mother rolled her eyes, "Christina, stop acting like a child. Your sisters are two years younger than you and have more maturity."

"My sisters are also at their friend's house, not heading to the summer house of gloom and doom," I argued.

"That's because your sisters have friends," my father cut in, giving me a pointed glance.

I pursed my lips, insulted, "I have friends!"

"Not the right kind, and mind your tone!" my mother said sharply. "You have that red haired poor boy, what's his name? Weasel?"

"I believe so," my father waved his hand indifferently, like the topic didn't even matter.

"And then that Potter boy...and also that girl... a _muggle-born_. Disgusting," my mother closed her eyes and sighed deeply, trying to calm down. I opened my mouth to protest, but my mother held up her hand. "I don't want any sass, young lady. You've already shamed us by being sorted in Gryffindor...the first Gryffindor in our family in one hundred and eighty-nine years..._one hundred and eighty-nine!_ I will not tolerate anything less than proper attitude. Miro has always been associated with pureblood Slytherin. And now look what you've done."

"Well, technically it was the sorting hat...I mean, I probably could've voiced an opinion, but then again, that would've meant pleasing you."

"Enough!" my father roared, standing up and glowering at me with reserved anger. "Continue like this, I'll arrange for you to stay at Malfoy Manor during breaks, as well. Now, Linessa," He turned towards my mother. "We really must be going. It's awfully rude to be late."

My parents gathered their things and hurried over to the fireplace used for traveling by floo powder, and stepped inside. I remained where I was, hoping by some miracle that they would give up and just leave without me.

"Stop sulking and get some floo powder," my father instructed, impatiently.

No miracles today, apparently.

I reluctantly grabbed some floo powder before going in front of my parents and yelling, "Malfoy Manor!"

Instantly, I felt like I was falling forward, then backwards, and then my feet hit solid ground. My knees ached from the impact, and wobbled threateningly. Before I knew it, I fell forward, looking like an imperfection next to my parents who stood as still as statues. I hit the ground chest first, and as I peered up, I could see three distinct expressions on each of the Malfoys. Lucius had the same icy stare my father showed me almost constantly, Narcissa looked mildly shocked, and Draco's face was twisted with dark amusement.

Not one to stay down forever, I heaved myself up in a quick movement. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Draco make a quick leg movement, but thought nothing of it as I took another step to come further into the room. But right when I raised my leg it caught on something bulky, and for the second time today in a matter of seconds (really luck wasn't on my side) I fell onto the ground with a hard thud.

Feeling around me, I noticed that my suitcase was the culprit, and it had somehow managed to slide into my line of stride. And then I realized...Malfoy had kicked the case.

_Git git git git git git git git git git stupid bloody GIT._

Throwing politeness out the window, I shot up and pulled my wand out of my pocket. I knew fully well that I wouldn't be able to perform spells outside of Hogwarts, but I also knew that I looked a bit more intimidating with my wand out. I was rather good at spell work and dueling, much to Draco's displeasure.

"I'm gonna kick your arse, Malfoy!" I shouted, narrowing my eyes slightly.

"You're no match for me, Miro, no matter how deluded you may be," Draco remarked coldly, his own wand already in his hand.

I was about to toss my wand and start a full on muggle fight before a strong blast of something powerful separated Draco and I, causing us to fly to opposite ends of the room and land roughly.

"There will be no dueling or inappropriate behavior in this household," Lucius spoke slowly and carefully, locking my gaze and not backing down. Lucius scared me slightly, so I wasn't able to argue with him. I watched as he held my gaze for a few seconds longer before going to the fireplace and calmly greeting my parents, who hadn't even batted an eyelash.

"Christina, dear," Narcissa's false cheerful voice caught my attention. "It's very...nice to see you. Our house elf Gerda will take your bags. Dinner will be ready in one hour. Don't be late." She gave me a reluctant smile and turned back to my parents.

After getting up and dusting myself off, I followed Gerda out of the room, but not before slamming into Draco with my shoulder and stumbling a bit as he tried to trip me in return.

I knew the Malfoys were fairly wealthy, but once I strolled into my room, I realized just how wealthy. The room was a simple off-white color, but the walls had gold trimmings, as did the windows. It almost gave off an ethereal glow. The bed was in the east corner of the room, and had a silky transparent canopy, also donning gold attachments. It seemed like everything had that color pair, and with all the white, I suddenly felt like I was in a psych ward. Might as well be, I suppose.

Before I had a chance to unpack, I heard a voice sneer from the doorway, "I guess since your parents basically disowned you, you're not used to the good life." Draco's tone was patronizing, and while I didn't necessarily feel insulted, it made me think for a moment.

While I did live in a fairly large house, and while my family _did_ have money...ever since I went to Hogwarts and was sorted into Gryffindor my parents never spoiled me or praised me with attention. I was lucky to get a minimal allowance every week, and whatever I got, I saved. My parent's usually spent all the funds on my sisters. It reminded me of a muggle fairy tale Hermione once showed me, Cinderella. I know it would be cliché to think of myself as Cinderella, but sometimes, when I wanted to make fun of my own situation to make myself feel better, I would.

"I may not get my family's riches, but I can almost positively say that my family is richer than yours," I snorted, knowing that would set him off.

I turned around to face him, and realized in shock that in his anger Draco had marched up to me, but he didn't think I'd turn around. Our chests grazed for a moment, but I didn't really care. All I was focused on was his icy blue stare that was going straight through me.

"Take that back," he commanded, and his breath washed over my face. It smelled like mint, surprisingly.

_Wait, surprisingly? What did I expect it to smell like? Sunshine?_

"Make me," I challenged, but almost immediately regretted those words.

_Great, I just had to pick a phrase with implied sexual tension. Cool Christina. Why couldn't I have just said something witty and devious like 'No'?_

I focused back onto Draco's face, and discovered that while I was having a mental debate with myself, he hadn't moved and looked very confused.

"Sorry ferret," I teased, using his acquired nickname that drove him crazy. (And not in a good way). "I was just talking."

Draco furrowed his brows, "To?"

"Myself. Now, if you would be so kind as to get out of my room, that would be great," I said.

"It's my house," he said coldly, his anger flaring.

"Yeah, and this is my fist...leave now or you're gonna have a solid greeting."

Draco raised his eyebrows and looked at me for a moment. "I don't appreciate you giving me threats, however empty," he snarled, before pushing himself off of my bedroom wall and leaving the room.

* * *

After I had unpacked my belongings I noticed the clock and saw that it was dinner time already. I quickly changed into a proper dress and slipped on some heels while I hopped out of the doorway.

I unexpected slammed into a solid body, and looked up and caught Draco's awaiting gaze. "Do you intend on hopping to dinner, bunny rabbit?" His tone was patronizing, and I highly disliked that.

"I was just putting on my shoes, thank you," I replied, and found myself looking him over briefly.

He donned a simple dress suit, and for a moment, I was actually winded by how attractive he looked. I mean, he's an attractive guy, I'll admit, but his personality could use some work...definitely some that involved a bulldozer and other heavy machinery. It was a shame too, if his attitude matched his looks he'd be someone I'd go for.

I snapped myself out of my thoughts before he could notice I was staring, but it was too late.

"Like something you see, Miro?"

I laughed, a kind of high-pitched squeak that only rarely happened. "Yeah, okay Malfoy," I nodded in false agreement, and walked passed him into the dining room without looking back. But before I made it three feet, Draco latched onto my wrist and tugged me back.

Before I could inquire his intentions, I felt him lean next to my ear, and shivered slightly as his breath ghosted over my neck...

_Well this is new._

"That's a nice dress you have on...you _almost_ look pretty tonight."

And before I could make sense of his words, he brushed passed me with infuriating nonchalance and entered the dining room.

_What the hell? _I scrunched up my nose, refusing to give it a second thought. _He's just playing games with me, and if he sees that I'm flustered, that means he wins._

With that mindset, I joined him in the dining room, refusing to lose.


	2. Recall

**Disclaimer: No, I still don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

I forced a smile on my face to greet my parents when I entered the dining room. _  
_

It was massively massive, as expected, with a crystal chandelier hanging down from the center of the ceiling, and expensive silverware spread out across the table.

I almost snorted. There were only six of us and the table was set for roughly twenty, I imagined.

_Ah, rich people._

The Malfoys were sitting on one side of the long table, so I went and sat beside my parents on the other. As I looked across the table, trying to be unnoticed, I saw Draco talking to his mother.

They definitely had their common traits, although Malfoy got most of his looks from his father. This made me wonder if Lucius had looked attractive when he was younger...

_And now I'll stop right there. If I continue on this track I may not finish dinner._

The dining hall was suddenly quiet and I noticed that everyone was looking at me.

"What?" I asked, but cringed as I heard the stupid tone of my voice.

Lucius put his glass of wine down slowly, and stared at me with his penetrating gaze. "I asked you what your plans were after Hogwarts." This was the tone of a man that did _not_ like to repeat himself.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and pushed my side bangs to the side nervously. Now's the time I wish I had pinned them back with the rest of my hair.

"Well, I'm considering becoming an Auror, but that depends on how well I do on my N.E.W.T.s in seventh year," I explained, fighting back the nervousness that was creeping into my voice. I hated being the center of everyone's attention, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief when the Malfoys turned around and continued on in their individual conversations. I was sitting there lamely, looking from person to person, until I decided to strike up a conversation with my mother. "Lucius threw me into a wall when we arrived," I pointed out after I had gotten her attention.

"That's Mr. Malfoy to you...and you had picked a petty fight with young Draco. That just shows that you have absolutely no manners," she said, already turning away from me.

"Because the git tripped me! And did I not just mention that he threw me into a _wall?_ You know, a solid wall? We can go check I must've left a dent in it!"

"Stop exaggerating!" my mom said in a voice signaling the end of the discussion.

I scowled at her back, and from the corner of my eye I could see Draco smirking at me...and I just wanted to wipe it off his face. _Calm Christina...find your inner zen...you can do this. _

I almost jumped out of my seat when I noticed the food magically appear on the table. After waiting a beat to watch the others, I mentally shrugged and filled up my plate with a good amount of food.

The food was, of course, delicious. It was just the right temperature and cooked to complete perfection. It was so good, in fact, that I almost helped myself to three plates.

After I had finished my meal, I politely asked to be excused and made my way upstairs to my room. On my way there, I started to take off my shoes and once I stepped into my room, I peeled off the black dress that I was wearing. Tossing it on the bed to deal with later, I rummaged through the drawer to find a pajama.

Before I could put one on, however, I heard the door open and saw Draco staring at me with a blank expression.

"Malfoy!" I shouted quickly, trying to cover myself with the pajama top I managed to pull out. "What's the matter with you? You have to _knock_ when you come into someone else's room."

"Oh, sorry," he said with absolutely no remorse whatsoever.

"Well, what the hell do you want?"

"Nothing," he shrugged, and walked out of the room without closing the door.

_I really hate Draco Malfoy. _

I could hardly contain my annoyed thoughts as I threw my PJ's on.

_He wouldn't want me barging in on him like that! Well, we'll just see how he likes it!_

After I was sure the coast was clear, I tiptoed to Draco's room, and after waiting a few seconds, triumphantly threw open the door.

Well, I definitely wasn't prepared for the scene before me.

Draco was in the middle of the room, shirtless and obviously in the middle of unbuttoning his pants. My eyes greedily traveled the expanse of his chest down to the visible skin of his lower abdomen. He had abs, tight toned abs, and I was _not_ expecting that at all.

_Obviously Quidditch gives him a work out...he's...whoa no, control yourself Christina! Think of his ugly personality. _

His muscles rippled as he straightened and looked at my dazed face with an amused expression. "Can I help you, Miro?"

I immediately began spluttering in a great effort to save my pride, but the only thing that managed to escape my lips was a few random vowel sounds.

_Real smooth, Christina. Now, feet, MOVE._

But my feet failed me, and so I remained standing there, looking at him like an idiot.

Draco's amused expression suddenly turned to a smirk as he walked over to me while I continued to spurt out a series of grunts and noises, trying to form an intelligible sentence. He leisurely put one arm on the doorframe beside my head, and leaned close to me. The button of his pants, which he had forgotten to re-button, brushed temptingly against my stomach through the thin shirt I had on. His face, I noticed, was even better looking up close. I wondered how that was possible as usually the closer something got the more imperfections I could notice. But, that was the exact opposite of what was happening here. Draco's face was like a clear anomaly of logic and fact. As he continued to stare at me, his gaze never wavering in the slightest, I actually felt my heart rate spike, as much as it pained me to realize.

_What is he doing? Is he...going to kiss me? Do I even want him to? Yes he may be attractive, but he's also a cruel biased jerk._

As if he had heard my thoughts, Draco used his free arm to push me roughly out of his room and slam the door, missing my face by centimeters. "Don't come into my room." I heard him shout through the door, his annoyance clear.

"Arse!" I shouted once I regained my wits, and stalked dejectedly to my room.

_Today was an...experience. If the rest of vacation goes like today, I may not have enough sanity intact to go back to Hogwarts._

I shut my eyes and sighed through my nose. Fed up with lingering on the negative that was sure to come, I buried myself under the soft blankets and fell asleep.

* * *

After only what felt like half an hour, I felt a soft tapping on my shoulder. I tried to brush it off and turn over, but it just wouldn't stop.

"Christina, your father and I are leaving for vacation now. We'll see you a couple days before term starts," I heard my mother's voice in my dream state.

I briefly wondered if I could get away will telling her to "sod off" in my half-asleep state, but instead, I settled for a short grunt to let her know I heard her.

"Now, you listen to me very carefully, Christina. If you cause any trouble your father and I will know, and we will deal with it accordingly when we return. Is that clear?" There was a subtle threat in her tone.

"Mhm."

"Fine then. It's still about 6am, so you can go back to sleep."

I snorted. _Like waking up is an option._

I felt my mother's presence disappear, and I stretched my legs and arms out in the bed to get comfortable again. I was glad my parents weren't around, yes, but I still had to deal with the Malfoys and their very infuriating son.

* * *

When I woke up again I was glad to see it was a much more manageable 10am. It seemed to be a beautiful summer day, and I sprang up out of bed to open one of the many windows in my room. As I stuck my head out, I closed my eyes as a fresh breeze swished across my face, bringing with it the distinct smell of summer. Yes, summer had a smell, I don't care what anyone says. It was warm, musty, sunny, and fresh.

After having a moment of peace, my eyes fluttered open and I scanned the expanse of the Malfoy's land as far as I could see from my window. My gaze fell upon the nearly ocean-sized monstrosity the Malfoys called a pool, and noted with curiosity that Draco seemed to be sitting near it, cleaning his Quidditch broom.

A plan in mind, I changed into new clothes and rushed down the stairs until I reached the side entrance that opened up to the backyard area.

The backyard was gigantic, and covered with green grass and various types of flowers. Beyond the large pool, I saw a Quidditch field to my far right, and another small house to the left side of the yard. As I got closer to the pool, I noticed a fantastic waterfall at the northern side of it, and a Jacuzzi on the other. The spray from the waterfall mingled with sunlight, and I could actually see a freaking_ rainbow_ over some of the pool.

When Draco appeared in my line of vision, a slow and scheming smirk graced my face. I did my best to tiptoe forward, putting one foot delicately in front of the other until I leaned down to push him into the pool...

And without warning, Draco swerved his body and grabbed my arms. He shifted to the right, and I could feel a strong tug on my body, and before I had even a slim chance of saving myself, I fell headfirst into the pool.

My first thought was that if the Malfoys were so rich, why couldn't they own a heated pool? My second thought was...

_COLD!_

Water splashed around as I resurfaced, taking in deep breaths and spitting out the mouthful of pool water I accidently gulped in. My ears detected the sound of fairly high pitched laughter, and I turned my head to see Draco nearly on his back, roaring with hilarity.

I glared at him harshly, half my face still underwater. I probably looked like an alligator.

Draco actually had to wipe his eyes softly before turning towards me and giving me a look of mock sympathy.

"Ah Miro, so young, so naïve," He shook his head, and his gaze turned cold. "Don't bother me with your childish games. I'm busy."

"As I recall, I'm about three months older than you," I argued petulantly, crossing my arms over my chest to hide any embarrassing reactions to the cold pool.

"Maybe if you acted like it, I wouldn't have a problem recalling."

I rolled my eyes and slowly made my way to the edge of the pool before using all my arm strength to lift myself out. Instead of leaving, which I had half a mind to do, I sat on the edge of the pool, sticking my feet in a mimicking Draco's position.

"You're starting to sound like my parents," I said, swishing my hand around in the water, which was gradually increasing in warmth. "Get off your high horse, Malfoy. I don't have a problem _recalling_ that you tripped me yesterday when I arrived. Immature or what, huh?"

"And if I _recall_ correctly, wasn't it you who got in trouble in the end?" Draco questioned.

"Remind me to take the word '_recall'_ and all its forms out of my vocabulary," I moaned, already feeling a headache coming on. "So, what kind of broom do you have?"

"Firebolt," he replied blandly after a couple seconds. "Being Slytherin's Seeker, I need a broom with immense speed."

"I agree," I nodded.

"You're on the Gryffindor team, aren't you? A chaser?"

"How kind of you to have remembered!" I teased.

"Don't you mean _recalled_?" Draco deadpanned.

After looking at him in wonder for a minute or so, I burst into a fit of hearty laughter mimicking Draco's outburst from before. I had no idea why I was having a civilized conversation with him, or when it got to the point of it even being _possible_, but here we were, and I was actually laughing. It didn''t make sense, but hey, I was just gonna go with it for now. Without the use of my wand, I really didn't have the means or methods to duel with him. That would have to wait for the school year.

I glanced up at Draco from my back as I tried to still my heaving chest. It felt so good to laugh, to smile, even if it was with Malfoy. I barely smiled anymore, when I was with my parents at least. In this sense, I really wanted to go back to Hogwarts. It was literally, my home. That's why Harry and I bonded when we met. We both came from places we weren't wanted, in different circumstances of course, but we found solace in the familiarity of Hogwarts. We had friends, in each other, and in many others.

In that aspect, I felt somewhat bad for Draco.

In his group of friends, blood purity and status were everything.

And I mean _everything_.

If you weren't a pureblood in their eyes, you mind as well be dead or imprisoned at least.

So instead of having the acceptance and warmth that came with friendship, Draco and his 'friends' were judgmental, cold, and calculating. It was a shame, but I didn't bring myself to really care. If I said I didn't care at _all_ I'd be lying, but you can't help those who don't want it.

"What kind of broom do you have?" Draco asked, looking at me strangely from my bout of silence during my thoughts.

"A Firebolt."

This got Draco's immediate _full_ attention, and he stared at me in confusion, "I thought your family barely gives you any funds? A Firebolt is like 2,000 galleons, _minimally_. That's expense for someone like _you_."

I ignored his last sentence, not wanting or having the energy to start a fight.

"Yeah, it was expensive," I started, leaning back onto my elbows. "_For someone like me_," I repeated. "But whatever money my parents give me I save. Believe me, it's not a lot, but after a couple years, I had enough to purchase my very own Firebolt. Quidditch is rather special to me. I-" I paused suddenly, realizing who I was talking to. I didn't want to go into a full life story or anything, he'd definitely hold that against me.

"You what?" he asked, annoyed. He never liked when someone started a story but never finished.

"Never mind," I shrugged, and left it at that.

"You know, maybe if you just acted like the pureblood you are, you'd get more money and would be able to accomplish more," Draco spoke, like he couldn't understand why I disregarded my blood purity so freely.

"Yes, but then I would be going along with something I don't believe in, just to get the benefits. Is it really worth it?"

"Yes," Draco answered frankly. "And what your parents believe...what mine believe...it's the right thing."

"I don't think so," I shook my head earnestly.

"Then honestly Miro, I think you deserve the way you have it. Your complete disregard for what's right is quite appalling."

"I could say the same for you," I retorted quietly, internally hurt by his words. The word _cold_ was just a natural part of his personality.

Now, what happened next may be a bit childish, but if I'm gonna be called it, mind as well live up to the name.

With careful consideration, I placed my hand on Draco's shoulder sharply and pulled before he could realize my intent. We both went crashing into the water, making splashes that caused some surrounding birds to flee.

We resurfaced seconds later, and I merrily realized that even though the water was warm for me, it would be cold for him.

Draco's face was twisted into a mirage of emotions; annoyance, anger, bewilderment, astonishment...and that was all good and well, but what _really_ made me nervous was when it changed into a dark smirk, and he began stalking towards me.

I hurriedly tried to move backwards, but the weight of the water made a quick escape near impossible. "Now, now, Malfoy...just relax..." I pleaded, but that only seemed to edge him on, as he now moved faster.

Before I could find out what horrors he had planned for me, a sharp, squeaky voice rang out through the backyard.

"Dracoooo! Are you home?"

I shot my eyes towards Draco, and his face was already stricken with panic.

We both knew.

It was Pansy Parkinson.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Going back and editing/rewriting my old work is a bitch, but I enjoy it nonetheless. Hopefully the next chapter will be up tomorrow or maybe even later today...who knows...we'll see! :D**


	3. Nightmare

**Disclaimer: I don't own - WAIT OMG WAIT WHAT IS THIS I JUST - aw man no I still don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

_Okay, handling Malfoy is somewhat of a struggle, but I CANNOT handle Pansy. NOT PANSY._

I instinctively looked for the nearest pool exit and a place to hide as I heard her footsteps getting closer. I turned to tell Draco my game plan, but immediately noticed that he was...gone?

I knew that Draco and Pansy were friends, but I _also_ knew that Draco found Pansy rather annoying, no matter how much he tried to fight it under his parents' wishes. She was clingy, extremely so, and hung on Draco's tail like a watchdog.

"Miro, over here, quick!" I heard Draco whisper from behind me, and I turned to see him diving under the water and under the waterfall.

I frantically swam to where Draco had disappeared, and after taking a deep breath (I had no idea what to expect down there), I dove. Keeping my eyes open the best I could, I saw a small opening when I reached below the waterfall, and quickly swam towards it.

When my face came up from the water, I sucked in deep breaths and looked for Draco. It was a tight space, there was barely enough room for our heads, and we waited in awkward silence for Pansy to leave.

"Dracums? Are you here?" Pansy's distinct voice echoed through the space we were occupying.

A snort of laughter escaped through my mouth, and I had to hold onto the walls to keep myself above water. "Did she just call you _Dracums_? Oh God, DRACUMS?" I nearly shouted, barely containing my uproarious laughter.

Draco looked rightfully embarrassed by the whole situation, but suddenly clamped a hand over my mouth sharply.

That shut me up.

"She's coming, Miro. If you don't shut up, she'll hear you. Do you want that?" His tone was rough and quiet at the same time, if that was even possible.

In the distance I heard three knocks on the glass door of the backyard, and then Pansy's voice ask if Draco was home.

The house elf that answered the door said that they didn't know where he was, but he would fetch Lucius to give her a better answer.

"Hello, Miss. Parkinson," Lucius' cold voice wavered slightly enough to be considered polite.

Draco tensed up and let out a silent curse.

"Is Draco here, Mr. Malfoy?" Pansy asked, her voice laced with hopefulness.

"Yes, he is, but right now I do not know where. Perhaps you can come back later?"

"Please say no, please say no..." I heard Draco muttering under his breath, but this was _Pansy_ we're talking about. She'd wait in his front yard for hours if she was allowed to do so.

"Okay, I will Mr. Malfoy. Thanks!"

We heard footsteps echo back out of the backyard, and then the glass door slide close.

I went to speak, but then realized that Draco's hand was still covering my mouth.

With the sun being filtered through the waterfall, it cast light over everything, including Draco's blue eyes, which reminded me of ice shards in a circular pattern.

Slowly, he lifted his hand from my mouth and ran both of his over his face, sighing deeply.

"Looks like you're going to get some unwelcome company," I spoke softly still for some reason, barely above a whisper.

"Looks like," Draco murmured, his tone betraying his annoyance at the thought.

I didn't care much, but curiosity got the better of me. "Why can't you just sever ties with her, Malfoy? It's obvious you don't like her."

"You know nothing Miro, so keep your commentary to the side," Draco snapped suddenly. "Some of us put duty in front of selfish desire. Must be a foreign concept to you."

"Ever think of _not_ doing what your parents say?" I challenged, my tone aggressive.

"My family has a certain image to uphold, and I will not go against that, like you have, and betray my family."

_I didn't betray them! They betrayed me!_ I wanted to tell, but fresh emotions were forming in my chest, and I didn't want to seem weak in front of Draco. "Then you're living a life that's a lie."

"No, I'm not. I believe in everything my family believes."

"Do you?" I questioned. "Or do you just _think_ you do?" Before Draco had a chance to respond, I continued. "I think that if you became a bit more independent, you'd realize that you could accomplish so much. Things that _you_ want."

"I am too independent," Draco argued, sounding thoroughly offended.

"Have you ever done something without the influence of the surname Malfoy?"

Draco remained silent, glaring daggers at me.

"Didn't think so. You have a lot to learn."

"And you're going to be the one to teach me?" Draco raised an eyebrow, but his tone was like ice.

"Maybe."

We were silent for a couple moments, before Draco spoke, "I think we can get out now, she's probably gone."

"Not for long," I couldn't help but quip under my breath before we swam below the waterfall and resurfaced on the other side. I quickly covered myself in an effort to hide my sticky situation, literally, as I climbed out of the pool.

"Miro, wait!" I turned and saw Draco walking towards where I was. "Let me get towels."

I gaped at his retreating form, finding it hard to believe that he would do something so nice and _normal_. Before I would've thought that he'd make me stay soaked as I walked through the house, and even push me down if I walked over hard tile.

But he's getting..._towels_.

When Draco returned, I still was wearing my shocked expression. He noticed this as he handed me a towel.

"Don't look at me like that; my parents would kill _me_ if I let you slosh around the house in this state," Draco said, giving me a weird look.

"Thanks for your consideration, _Malfoy_," I retorted sarcastically, and began to make my way towards the house.

"Christina, wait," I heard him call for me again, and I nearly froze from his use of my first name. His tone had changed again, and it was now wavering between hesitant and gentle.

_Is he mercurial or what?_

"Call me...Draco."

"Huh?"

"Well, we don't really have our 'enemy reputations' to hold up here. So, Draco is my name. Call me that."

"O-okay..." I stuttered, and watched as he nodded in affirmation and turned without another word.

_Draco Freaking Malfoy._

* * *

As I entered my bedroom, I immediately pulled off my soaking wet clothes and changed into some new ones. I pulled my hair into a pony in an attempt to keep the wet strands off of my face. I turned sharply once I heard the door open, and I saw Draco standing there, clothed in a new outfit, hair still partly damp.

"Draco!" I groaned, the name almost alien on my tongue. "We've been over this before...you have to knock before you enter someone's room. What if I had been naked or something?"

Draco's lips quirked upwards in a smirk, and he cocked his head to the side. "I certainly wouldn't have minded."

"You're impossible," I sighed deeply, pressing against the bridge of my nose in frustration. "Is there something you wanted?"

"Yeah, there's a Quidditch game on TV right now, I thought maybe you'd want to watch it," Draco threw his hand over his shoulder nonchalantly, pointing to downstairs.

"...you own a TV?"

Draco looked annoyed. "Yes, that's what I _just said_. Only one though. My mum happened upon it one day, a couple years ago, and decided it would be worth it to keep one around."

"It's a muggle invention, though."

"Yes, it it."

"But...you guys..."

"Christina, you are actually getting on my nerves now. I'm reconsidering wanting your company to watch the game," Draco grit his teeth.

"I still can't believe you own a TV Mr. Pureblood or Die," I shook my head. "But who's playing?" I asked, my curiosity peaked.

"Ireland vs. Bulgaria."

"And who's winning?"

"Bulgaria, 150-100."

"Ooh, close game, "I murmured. "Let's go watch!"

I ran past him to the downstairs living room, and I heard Draco muttering about 'foolish childish ways' as he followed me.

"Go Ireland!" I shouted, jumping onto one of the couches and clapping my hands together.

"Ireland?" Draco questioned, feigning concern. "Bulgaria all the way."

"Pssh, _Ireland_ is the best team."

"Doesn't look like they're going to win," Draco sneered.

"Winning isn't everything," I scoffed, but I knew that was a load of bullshit. Nevertheless, Ireland was still my favorite team, regardless of whether they won or lost.

Throughout the game I would cheer loudly, throw pillows, shout at the TV, and everything in between. Draco sat there quietly, taking in the game, and looked a bit concerned by my behavior.

Once the game ended, and Bulgaria had won by only fifty points, I dramatically fell back onto the coach while Draco smirked smugly.

"You're very - enthusiastic – when it comes to Quidditch," Draco observed.

I shrugged, "I really get into the game."

"I can see that."

A suddenly got a brilliant idea, and if a light bulb could appear over my head, now would be the time it would. "You have a Quidditch pitch, right?"

"It's smaller than the one at Hogwarts, but yes, I do," Draco replied cautiously.

"Wanna practice a bit?" I asked, but my voice held a subtle challenge.

Draco seemed to catch on because he smirked slightly. "Alright," he agreed, and we each went our separate ways to get our brooms.

We met down at the backyard sliding door, and Draco led me towards the far west side, and I saw a still fairly big Quidditch pitch. It didn't have all the school colors or seating stands, just the hoops and some black flags.

Jumping onto my broom, I flew expertly into the air and started to warm up. Draco flew up right after me, and we both flew around the field together, getting the hang of being on a broom again.

It was strangely peaceful, flying with Draco.

"Wanna race?" I asked, competitive spirit kicking in.

"Yeah," Draco nodded, competitiveness showing in his eyes, too. "There's no way you'll win, though," he added.

We both decided the rules- we'd start at one hoop, and the first to fly around the whole field twice and get back to the hoop wins.

"Pretty simple, really. When are we gonna go?" I asked, getting ready.

"Now!" he yelled as he flew off, leaving me in his wake.

"Malfoy! Cheater!" I yelled, spurting ahead at full speed.

I came up inches behind him, and I urged my broom forward, but I still couldn't pull ahead. Draco glanced back, and seemed surprised to see me on his tail. But that didn't last long as he smirked and started to go even faster.

_How is he going so fast? We have the same broom!_

Looking ahead, I could see that the finish line was approaching. I pushed my broom farther, almost dangerously so, but was still inches behind as we both reached the finishing position.

"Nice try, Christina. I hope you didn't really expect to win, though," Draco smirked, obviously proud of himself.

"You looked pretty worried there for a few seconds," I pointed out, smirking myself, although I was a bit disappointed that I didn't beat him.

"Well, now we know just who's better than whom at Quidditch. _Me_. Just like everything else," Draco sneered as we landed and dismounted our brooms.

"Everything else?" I questioned.

"I'm better than you at spells, probably all of our Hogwarts classes, dueling, and now we can add Quidditch to the list," Draco counted on his fingers.

"PUH-LEEZE. You win one measly little race and you think you're better than me? Yeah, right. We'll just have to see about that when we get back to Hogwarts and Gryffindor verses Slytherin," I gave him a pointed look. "And the whole school knows I'm better at dueling than you, I mean, we've given them plenty of instances to experience it." A dark smirk crossed your face.

"You can't judge it on that," Draco protested. "We never get to finish since the professors always stop us."

I raised an eyebrow. "So, what are you saying? You wanna duel right now?"

Draco pursed his lips in silent contemplation, "Perhaps."

"We're not allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts Draco, you know that," I gave him an are-you-stupid look.

"My father works at the Ministry of Magic, and has close ties to the Minister himself. Trust me, I can get away with using magic." Draco sounded high and mighty.

I furrowed my brows, "Well, that's _you_. But I don't think your father would have a problem letting _me_ get punished. So, I'm gonna have to say no."

"Coward," Draco muttered, but didn't say anything else.

"How did you go so fast?" I suddenly blurted out. "On your broom? We have the same model."

Draco leaned in towards me secretively, looking left and right to see if anyone was listening to our conversation. "Well, it's not proven, and it's very scandalous, but it's..._practice_," he said simply, straightening again and looked forward with a very self-satisfied expression.

I gaped at him, blood boiling. "Is it too late to accept the duel, Malfoy?"

* * *

Even though I had an incredible urge to duel Draco that consumed my entire brain, my logical side came through and I refused again, not taking my chances, even though he deserved it.

We continued to walk back towards the Manor, and I jumped slightly when a house elf appeared in front of us.

"A Miss. Pansy Parkinson is here for Master Draco," they squeaked, and I immediately saw the blood rush from Draco's already pale face. I had totally forgot about that, and it looked like he did too.

Sparing a final glance at me, I gave him a short wave before he followed the house else back into the Manor to the awaiting Pansy.

Shuffling my feet, I plopped down on the lush grass and decided to spend a few more minutes outside. It was a beautiful day, really. I leaned down onto my back and put my arms under my head as a makeshift pillow. Looking up at the slowly drifting clouds that were covering the sun, my eyelids began to get heavy. It was just the right temperature and the cool breeze soothed me into a light rest.

_I woke up in a large circular room with deep gray walls; definitely not the Malfoy's backyard. Standing up slowly, I glanced around at my surroundings, looking for an exit or means of escape. There was a small source of light above me, but no matter how hard I squinted, I could barely see a foot in front of me. I continued to walk with my arms out, and as if by some miracle, I felt a solid iron door at the tips of my fingertips. I quickly fumbled with the latch, but no matter how hard I pulled, it wouldn't budge. The lights suddenly went out, and I heard raspy breathing coming from the other side of the room, sending chills down my spine._

_ Instinctively knowing that this would be bad, I doubled my efforts in opening the door as I heard the person getting closer._

_ "Stop, dear girl," A voice spoke, so sinisterly that I physically shook with fear. "There is no escape from Lord Voldemort..."_

_ And with that, the figure pulled out his wand._

_ The last thing I saw, before a jet of green light hit me and pain exploded all over my body, was a narrow snake like face with unnatural red eyes, gazing at me with twisted pleasure._

"AHHHHH!" I shouted as I flung myself from the ground, slightly relieved to find that I was lying on grass, back in the Malfoy's backyard. But, I still felt ripples of fear course through my veins as the pain subsided.

_What the fuck was that? _

* * *

**A/N: Two updates in one day, wow! And maybe one more, if I finish quickly. Hope you all are enjoying the story. Oh and TV's in the Wizarding World...haha. In my story, yes there will be. I needed it to work in this story, so bear with me! And this is where the dreams come in. Don't worry, Christina is not gonna have ties to Voldemort (directly), but the dreams will play a part in this story a different way.**

**Anyway, R&R! :D**


	4. Human Comfort

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I wouldn't be here.**

* * *

I knocked three times on Draco's bedroom door.

"Draco, can I use your owl?" I asked nicely when Draco opened it. If I was gonna have any chance of getting what I wanted, I needed to push my feelings of dislike aside and be polite. "And see, _this_ is how a nice polite person asks for entrance to another's room."

Draco seemed to ignore my addition as he was still solely focused and slightly confused at the first part of my sentence. "You don't have an owl?"

I sighed impatiently. "Did you _see_ me come here with an owl? No, I don't."

"Why?" he asked, still not answering my question.

"Well, after I had saved up all my money, it was either a broom or an owl. And I chose the broom, because without it I would have to use the school brooms and they _suuuuuuuck_," I emphasized. "So, can I use it?"

"Who are you sending a letter to?" Draco didn't stop his inquiry.

"My friend."

"Who?"

"_My_ _friend_."

"_Who_?"

"Hermione!" I admitted with exasperation. "Please?"

Draco scrunched his face up, "Granger?" He looked like he was going to decline.

"_Please_. I'll do whatever you want," I said in my desperation. _Oh no too much, too much! _"That's within reason," I added quietly for good measure.

"Like _you_ could give _me_ something worthwhile," he snarled, but nonetheless stroked his chin thoughtfully for a few moments. "Fine," he finally agreed, however annoyed. "First and last time, Christina. Don't ask again."

"Thanks Draco!" I almost jumped with exuberance. "Let me get the letter, be right back!" I dodged back down the hall and into my room. Hurriedly, before Draco could change his mind, I took out a quill and a piece of parchment.

_Dear Hermione,_

_ Hey Herms! It's Christina. Can you guess where my parents shipped me off to this summer? No not Azkaban, though I don't think they'll ever stop trying that. Malfoy Manor! I could almost see your look of shock right now. Malfoy let me use his owl to send you this letter, and believe me, I'm surprised he did too. I just wanted to see how you were, since I haven't talked to you in months! I bet you're all done with your summer work and already starting on this year's lesson plan. Some things never change, right? Before you ask, no, I didn't start my work. But I'll get to it; there really isn't much to do here. There's also another reason I'm writing you. With your endless knowledge, do you know of a potion or natural remedy that can suppress dreams, or rather, nightmares? Thanks Herms, hope all is well. Send my love to your parents, too._

_ Love, Christina_

Yeah, it's been a week, and I still haven't forgotten that nightmare. I haven't had another one, but the fear of it coming back made me resort to asking Hermione for help. I contemplated asking Draco, but I didn't want to chance it. He'd probably just laugh.

Pushing my thoughts aside, I picked up another parchment paper and decided to write Ron as well. Hopefully Draco would let me send two letters.

I didn't chance writing Harry because of the Dursleys; they never liked receiving mail via owl since the great owl debacle of first year, Harry had told me.

_Dear Ron,_

_ Hey Weasley, it's Christina. Guess where I am? If you said Malfoy Manor, you'd be right. Now, before you get as red as your hair and start shouting, this is not my choice. My stupid parents decided to take a second honeymoon and leave pitiful me with the Malfoys. Shipped from one cold family to the next, eh? Sometimes I wish I had a family like yours, and I'm very thankful that you Weasleys treat me like such. Anyway, how are you? Have you heard from Harry or Hermione? I'm sending Herms a letter too, but I'm not gonna chance it with Harry and get him into more trouble than he probably already is (because let's face it, Harry is somehow always in trouble with the Dursleys). I'm using Malfoy's owl, so write back as quick as you can. Send my love to the family. Hope to hear from you soon._

_ Love, Christina_

I packed the letters away and raced back into Draco's room to find him sitting at his desk, writing patiently. "Here!" I said, tossing him the two letters before he changed his mind. "Thanks again."

He looked curiously at the letters in his arms, "There are two letters here...I thought you were only writing to the mudblood?"

"Her name is _Hermione_," I snapped. "And I would even appreciate Granger, but not _that_ name."

"Who's the other letter to?" Draco ignored my previous sentiments.

"Ron."

"Weasel?"

"_Weasley_."

"Same thing," Draco shrugged. "Why aren't you writing to Potter?"

_None of your business, _I wanted to retort, but I held my tongue. I really needed those letters delivered. "His guardians don't appreciate anything particularly magical."

"Muggles?" Draco questioned, disdain clear in his voice.

I nodded in affirmation.

Draco didn't say anything else as he stood up and walked to a silver cage in the corner of his room. Inside was a beautiful light gray owl, with tinges of white on the span of its wings. It had transparent brown eyes, almost a caramel color.

"Is it a girl?" I couldn't help but ask, transfixed on the beautiful animal before me.

"He's a boy."

"What's his name?"

"Fane."

"He's beautiful," I unconsciously got closer and closer to the cage, until Draco snatched my hand away quickly.

"He doesn't really like anyone but me...he bites, too."

"Oh," I murmured, still admiring Fane. Draco slowly ducked his arm into the cage and I watched with great interest as Fane perched on his arm. Draco took him towards the window, held up the letters, and whispered the instructions.

You could almost see a glint in Fane's eye as if he was conversing with Draco, and a few moments later, Fane took off into the sky. I continued to stare out the window in awe, even as Draco passed me and went back to his seat.

"You want an owl," I heard him say, and it was more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah," I agreed. "I guess I just gotta keep saving...although, I still think I'll be short even after we finish school," I shrugged, trying not to think of the bad things. I noticed the papers on Draco's desk and pointed slowly. "Schoolwork?"

Draco looked down at his desk for a moment before meeting my eyes. "Yeah, might as well get it over with."

"I haven't even started," I admitted. "Potions is gonna be tough, though. Snape is well..._Snape_."

"I can imagine so. He doesn't like you very much."

"What's the matter with _me_?" I asked, but scowled when Draco raised his eyebrows. _Oh yeah, definitely shouldn't ask questions like that with him._

"Do you want the short list, or can you wait until I've written it up in correct form with bullet points and a detailed explanation of various points?" Draco asked, quite seriously too.

I glared at him. "I haven't done anything particularly awful to Snape, though. Is it because I'm a Gryffindor? Seriously, people need to _get over that_. It's starting to become an overused excuse."

"I think it has more to do with that fact that you're friends with Potter, personally," Draco suggested, but then shrugged. "If you need help with your Potions work, you could ask me. I _guess_ I could help you, if I have nothing better to do."

"You're good at Potions?"

"It's my best class...and don't say it's because Snape favored me. I actually enjoyed the class and produced good work."

I went to respond, but suddenly my nightmare came rushing into my head. Maybe he could give me some advice on a dream suppressant?

"Okay, if you're so good at Potions...do you know a potion that can suppress nightmares?" I asked quickly.

"Nightmares?" he repeated, frowning slightly. "Why?"

"Just...hypothetically..."

"Are you having nightmares?" He seemed amused.

"You ask way too many questions, Malfoy."

"Well, are you?"

"Uh – yes. But not just random silly ones. It's...just...never mind. Forget I asked," I sighed, regretting bringing it up.

"Off the top of my head, I don't know of any potion that suppresses nightmares, or even dreams. You'd have to ask Snape that. But, why? Can you tell me about your nightmare?"

I hesitated. Draco's tone was concerned, which was a whole world different than what I was used to. "Just promise you won't poke fun at it, okay? It really shook me up."

Draco sighed with annoyance. "Whatever, I promise."

"Alright..." I sighed, rubbing my hands over my face. "Well, it started with me waking up in this room. It had gray stone walls, cracked and damp. And I was in the dark, except this little lamp above my head, but even that didn't give me much light. I barely could see a foot in front of me. I mean, every time I tried to walk I felt like I was falling into the Twilight Zone," I paused, realizing I was rambling. "Anyway, once I reached out to touch one of the walls, I felt a big iron door...and then a latch. But no matter how hard I pulled on the latch, the door wouldn't open. And then the light went out above my head, leaving me in complete darkness. And I tried harder to open the door...I kept hoping and hoping the door would open...but it didn't. And then I heard his voice."

I stopped and looked at Draco for a moment, who was sitting patiently and listening to my story.

"He said...there was no escape...and then...he..." I had to shut my eyes and focus on my breathing. My heart was racing at extreme speeds, and I could feel my hands shivering. "I felt pain. Lots of pain. And I was shouting and crying...and I saw these narrow red eyes...and then I woke up."

Draco sat there for a few seconds, appearing to be digesting the information. "You mentioned a 'he'. Do you know who he is?" he finally asked.

I nodded, but didn't say any more.

"Well, who is he?" Draco pressed.

I bit my lip, but eventually said softly, "He said his name was, well, Lord Voldemort."

Draco abruptly stood up from his desk, knocking over his ink bottle in the process. He didn't seem to notice or care, however, as his intense gaze never left my face.

"Voldemort?" His voice was a whisper.

"He just said his name was Lord Voldemort...maybe he was lying?"

Draco continued to look at me until he nodded slowly nearly a minute later. "Okay."

We continued to gaze at each other until I stood up and dusted my pants off. "Well, if you find out any potions that would help, let me know."

Draco didn't answer, just nodded his head slightly. I walked out of his room feeling sullen and anxious. Draco didn't take it as well as I thought, and his reaction freaked me out just a little.

* * *

That night, I laid in my bed, caught between wanting to fall asleep and hoping it wouldn't be a nightmare. Eventually my tiredness won out, and my eyes closed for the night.

_I opened my eyes groggily, thinking it was morning, but instead saw that I was in a familiar circular room._

_"This is the place from my dream," I said out loud, to no one in particular._

_I dragged my bare feet across the cold rock floor until I saw the iron door at the opposite end of the room. I whimpered slightly, already knowing what was going to come. Instead of frantically trying to pry the door open, this time I examined it closely, looking for a lock or something similar that was causing the door to stay shut. But before I could complete my search, the lights were shut off once again, and I was left in pitch darkness. Turning quickly, I heard heavy breathing could and see the outline of the figure who called himself Lord Voldemort, whether he was or not I didn't know._

_"Please don't kill me," I whispered, no longer thinking it was a dream. I briefly wondered how my Gryffindor bravery could abandon me at such a time._

_"I'm not going to kill you...yet," Voldemort said in a cold voice. "Crucio!"_

_Pain like I had never experienced came over my body, making me collapse onto the ground. My limbs flailed and contracted as I hollered in pain. The room began to get blurry and I saw splotches of black invade my vision. I knew I was going to die._

Abruptly I felt someone shaking my shoulders and whispering my name while my pain slowly ebbed away. Once I realized that I was awake, my screams died down and I cracked a tired eye open, confusion clouding my already hazy brain. My vision was blurred with tears, but one thing I could make out was soft blond hair gently brushing against my face.

Too tired to even hold my own body up, I leaned sleepily against Draco. Time passed like a snail, and eventually I felt Draco start to get up.

"Wait!" I gripped onto his arm sharply, and probably painfully. "Please, don't leave me," I said fearfully, pulling him closer to me. That nightmare was worse than the first one, and I was afraid to even be alone in the dark at this moment. I didn't care that this was Malfoy, I didn't care that I hated him. Right now, I just needed the comfort of knowing another human being was there.

"Christina, I need to go, I'm tired."

"No no no, please stay. Please," I knew I was begging and probably sounded completely pathetic, but at that point, I didn't care. I just knew that I couldn't be alone.

"No, I'm going now."

I refused to let go of him, even though he tried to pulled away.

"You're acting foolish," Draco commented.

"I don't care."

"If my parents came in here and saw us like this I would be in a great deal of trouble. If you haven't noticed, they aren't too fond of you."

"I still don't care."

"They wouldn't like the fact that I'd be sharing a bed with a _blood traitor_. And neither do I."

His words stung my already frail emotions. "You're the one who came here."

"Because your screams were echoing all over the house. I thought you were being killed!"

"You were worried about me?"

"No, I wanted to see if the murderer needed help, or perhaps a treat for a job well done."

I was too drained of energy to fight with him. "Draco please, I'm just...I'm..." I was shaking again, I knew.

Draco closed his eyes, contemplating his options. "Alright, let's just lay down," he finally cajoled as he disentangled himself from my arms and laid me back down onto the mattress. I still refused to let go of him, however, as I knew he would probably try to leave again. Draco hesitantly leaned down next to me, and I rested my head against his chest without a second thought.

Long after Draco had fallen asleep I remained awake, reliving the nightmare over and over. The only thing that managed to soothe me was the steady drumming of Draco's heartbeat against my ear. I didn't know if it was solely due to my fragile state, but I felt safe and secure in Draco's protective hold.

And it confused me so much.

* * *

**A/N: THREE UPDATES IN ONE DAY. I hope you guys are enjoying this, I'm working extra hard for you. Anyway, R&R (:**


	5. Don't Bring Me Down

**Disclaimer: I don't own, never have owned, and never will own Harry Potter. I do own my OC, Christina Miro, though.**

* * *

I was holding onto something, and I could feel it slowly moving away, out of my grasp, like sand. In a moment of fear, I latched on tighter, hoping that I would be strong enough to keep hold of whatever it was. And then it _groaned_.

My eyes slowly fluttered open, and for a good minute or two I was still in a dream state, trying to fight off the blurriness. As I grew more awake, I became aware that my head was on Draco's bare chest, my legs tightly tangled up with his, and my arms were aching from holding onto his waist all night. Sheepishly I loosened my grip and tried to untangle our bodies.

I was a bit guilty, how did he even manage to fall asleep when I went into leech mode?

There was a dull ache rippling through my entire body, and I felt tired, even though I had just woken up. I slowly turned my head to address Draco, but his face was closer than expected, only inches from mine.

"Were you here all night?" I asked, not even bothering to turn away.

"Yes," Draco replied softly, gauging my condition. "I came in here when I heard you screaming bloody murder, and you wouldn't let me leave," he replied, not moving.

"I haven't had a nightmare in a week. Just the one I told you about. I thought – I hoped – it wouldn't happen again. Am I normal? I mean, is it normal to have nightmares like this?" I silently hoped the answer would be yes.

"Nightmares are normal, yes, but nightmares about the Dark Lord? Where you feel actual pain? I'm not sure."

"What should I do?" I questioned, feeling very anxious.

"How should I know?"

I sighed deeply...I definitely wasn't gonna get any useful information from him.

I _DID NOT_ want to go through this every time I tried to sleep. The fear was bad enough, but the pain was so much worse.

All of a sudden, a knocking at the window made Draco and I turn our heads. I saw Draco's owl, Fane, sitting on the window ledge, glaring at us, like we had been up to no good. This made me realize that Draco and I were still in bed together.

I awkwardly clambered out of the bed and strolled over to the window. I eased it open and Fane swooped in swiftly, perching on Draco's outstretched arm. He took the letters out of Fane's beak and shifted through them.

"You got letters from mudblood and company," Draco mumbled, tossing me two letters.

After giving him a glare I caught the two letters and sat back down on my bed, opening up the first letter.

_Christina,_

_YOU'RE WHERE? That's bloody bad luck, Miro. I hope you'll be able to survive until term. And when you're here I'll make sure he never comes near you again to make it up. I've written to Hermione most of summer, but haven't written to Harry, for much the same reason you have. I usually wait until he writes to me first, but he hasn't yet. Must be in a heap of trouble with the Dursleys, huh? I've been alright this summer, we're all here together. My mum wants to tell you hello, by the way. How are you? Write back and let us know how you are or I'll suspect Malfoy has done something. Oh, and this owl you've sent. It bites! Is it Malfoy's? I would guess because they're both insufferable. See ya later._

_Love, Ron Weasley_

_PS: If you ever need somewhere to stay, the Burrow is always available._

I smiled for the first time that morning. Ron always knew how to cheer me up, even if that wasn't intentionally his goal. I would've gone first thing to the Burrow this summer, but I knew in my heart my parents would have refused. I pushed Ron's letter to the side and opened up the second one, which I now knew was from Hermione.

_Dear Christina,_

_I just cannot believe you are at Malfoy Manor. It's horrible, just horrible. Are you okay? Is Malfoy making your life miserable? You know, he can't do that unless you let him, so stay strong. Term is starting soon, anyway. Speaking of term, do your WORK! I will not allow you and the boys to copy my work on the train this year. Anyway, I'm doing fine. Mum, dad, and I took a trip to France which was lovely. Wish you could've come; you would've loved it there. How has your summer been? Are your parents still the same? I hope things get better, Christina. And, I'm curious as to why you inquire about dream suppressing potions. I may have to go to the library and check my books, but I will do my best to find an answer for you. It's curious, though, because I myself have been having some peculiar nightmares lately. Write back soon. My parents send their love too, and hope to see you again soon. Be safe._

_Love, Hermione_

My breath caught in my throat as I reread the last part of her letter. _Hermione's been having nightmares too?_ I felt my heart constrict with panic, but I tried to calm myself down. This could only be a coincidence, maybe. But now I needed to write back right away to see what her nightmares were about. I contemplated asking Ron if he had been experiencing any nightmares, but thought against it. Why worry him for no good reason yet? I sighed and placed both letters down on the bed. The one thing I desperately needed was to have no more nightmares until Hermione gave me an answer. I shook away my thoughts when I heard knocking on the door. I turned and spotted Draco leaning against the doorframe leisurely.

"Knocking I see? Looks like someone is catching on," I tried to joke to dispel my melancholy mood.

"My parents want to speak to both of us downstairs," Was his only response.

"When?"

"Now."

"Now?"

"_Now_," he repeated and swiftly turned, retreating down the staircase. I meekly followed him, wondering what on Earth his parents had to tell _both_ of us. They barely spoke to me at all.

Once I had made it downstairs I shuffled closer to Draco, as if needing protection from what was going to happen.

_Christina, stop it. You haven't done anything wrong, there's no reason to work yourself up._

Narcissa began in her signature false cheerful voice, "Lucius and I have decided to spend a week in Rome, Italy. Your parents gave us the idea, Christina," Narcissa turned to me.

If this conversation was going where I thought it was going, I would gladly go drown myself in the Malfoy's pool.

Undeterred by my horrified expression, Narcissa continued, "Rome is a city of love, so we thought it would be nice to go and spend some time together. Rekindle that spark, maybe."

Okay this time Draco and even Lucius wore horrified expressions.

"Essentially, what we are trying to say is that you both will be alone at the Manor for the week," Lucius cut in before his wife could continue. He took a threatening step forward. "There will be no parties, no going out without written permission, no alcohol, and no-" He turned to me, "-unwanted guests."

I swallowed instinctively and nodded.

Lucius turned to Draco, to get the same confirmation, and Draco nodded as well.

"Very good," Lucius finally stepped back. "We will be apparating now."

And that was his goodbye.

Narcissa hugged Draco softly and gave me a polite nod in farewell before joining her husband.

After they disappeared, I turned to talk to Draco, "Well that was-" I stopped when I noticed he wasn't there.

_Oh well._

I climbed the stairs and entered my room. I plopped myself in my seat and decided to write out a return letter to Hermione. This was important. I only hoped that Draco would be lenient enough to let me use his owl again.

_Dear Hermione,_

_Is staying at the Malfoy Manor that bad? Yes, yes it is. Malfoy's being a little git as usual, too. But I'll live...hopefully. I still have yet to start my schoolwork, but don't go into 'stern parent' mode just yet. I think I'll at least attempt it tonight; I've got nothing better to do. Anyway, France sounds lovely. Who knows, maybe in the near future we can take a trip there together? Perhaps even let Harry and Ron tag along. Though, I think Ron may be a little too excited. Remember how he reacted when the Beauxbaton girls came during fourth year? Being in their country surrounded by them may do a bit more harm than good, I imagine. Now Hermione, this is important. Tell me, in as precise detail as you can, what your nightmares are about. Don't start worrying yet, but I really need to know this. I actually have no idea how I'm going to send you this letter, because I highly doubt Malfoy with let me use his owl again. But, if you do get this, you'll know I managed somehow. Write back as soon as possible, please._

_Love, Christina_

I sealed the letter quickly with trembling hands and walked nervously towards Draco's room.

I knocked twice.

After two minutes there was still no answer, and I was about to just barge in because, hey, he does the same thing, when I heard his annoyed voice say, "Come in."

I pushed the door open slowly until half of my body was through the threshold. "Draco," I began in my nicest tone. This immediately sent his eyebrows sky high. He knew I was going to ask for something, I could tell by his expression. "Would it be alright if I used Fane again?"

"No," was his immediate answer.

"Draco please, I really need it."

"I told you, Christina," he began coldly, crossing his arms. "First and last time."

"Please."

"I will not go back on my word because you're asking nicely. You accepted the terms when I agreed to let you use Fane before. Now this discussion is over."

"But-"

"Get out."

"Draco-"

"I have been trying my hardest to act civil with you this summer Christina, because frankly, I have better things to do than to waste my time with you. It would do you good to appreciate that civility, because I could make your life much harder if I wanted to. Now leave before I change my mind."

Draco turned his attention back to the book he was reading, and didn't give me a second glance.

But I was rooted to the floor, in anger and shock.

_Yeah, spending the night with me after my nightmare was totally you just being 'civilized'._

I knew that I shouldn't let his words get to me, because honestly it's not like I haven't heard them before. And I've heard much worse from him.

All the reasons why I had disliked him from the beginning flooded into my mind. And for a moment, I had to give credit to Lucius and Narcissa. They had raised a perfect pureblood son. A perfectly cold, twisted, and judgmental boy.

I honestly wished I could just hate him and not even think about it. But a small part of me pitied him. He would go through life stuck with his _precious_ ideals, just like his parents and all others who shared their views. What a life...such limited knowledge, such isolation. From birth, Draco had been taught these ways, and now, it was engrained in him, like it was common knowledge, nonnegotiable. But I couldn't use that excuse to free him from judgment. Everyone has a choice. What they believe, how they act, how they live life. And he's made his choice.

"Make my life harder?" I repeated, laughing incredulously. "Contrary to your belief, not everything in my life revolves around my parents and their views on me. I might not have it easy, but you can surely know that I'm happy. I'm living a life that's mine, I have peace of mind knowing that the choices I make reflect the person I am. And you? Well, your pathetic choices simply make you a pathetic person."

Draco, who wasn't looking at me through my whole speech, dropped his quill. "What did you just say to me?" he asked, his voice deadly quiet.

But I continued, undeterred. "We can be civil, if you'd like. I'll play along. But I want you to know that you will never be able to make my life harder. I won't give you that power or satisfaction. Now..." I stood up tall, refusing to be intimidated by his angry face. "I'll see you at dinner."

I turned on my heel and left the room, not looking back.

Draco Malfoy was not going to bring me down.

Not now, not ever.

And I was going to send that letter whether he liked it or not.

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**A/N: Hmph. Christina's got a bite. Enjoy...and R&R!**


	6. You've Got A Friend In Me

**Disclaimer: Just got off the phone with JK Rowling and no I still don't own Harry Potter. Damn. **

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Two days later, I sat alone in my room, reading some random book on Merlin I snatched from the Malfoy's library. Merlin was a wizard who lived during the medieval era. There's little known about his past, but I did read that he was a member of King Arthur's court, and arguably one of the most powerful wizards of all time. The last part I already knew, however.

_Sorry Voldemort_. I snorted.

Hearing some footsteps outside of my door, I peeked out the small opening I left, and saw Draco leaving his room and walking down the hallway, out of sight. Feeling a spark of motivation, I clambered out of bed and swiftly walked out into the hall. Peering downstairs, I saw no trace of Draco, so with a thrill of anticipation, I quickly dodged into his room, closing the door behind me.

I had to work fast, since I had no idea when Draco would return. If he happened to walk in while I was attempting to use Fane, he would no doubt be extremely angry.

Heck, if he walked in and saw me in his room he'd be angry.

...was there anything that _didn't_ make him angry?

I pulled the letter out of my jean pocket and stalked slowly towards Fane.

The aforementioned bird immediately became alert, watching my every move.

"Hey Fane..." I began, swallowing nervously. "Draco says that you don't like anyone but him, which I honestly don't understand, but hey, to each his own, right?" I continued to inch myself forward. "Well, I would be happy to be your friend too. We can have a secret friendship on the side, eh? And I'd bring you lots of yummy owl treats in return."

I paused for a moment. _I'm talking to an owl._

My sanity had definitely left me long ago.

"So Fane, I would be most appreciative if you could do me a teeny favor and deliver this letter for me?" I held up the letter so that the owl could see it with his own eyes. I placed one hand lightly on the latch of the cage, but Fane made no move to snap at me. He just glared at me warily, which I took as a good sign. "I'm going to open the cage now, so can you be a good little owl and-"

Immediately after I undid the latch Fane burst forward in a mass of feathers. I instinctively let out a shout and flailed my arms around. Backing away furiously until I rammed into Draco's desk, I slowly took my arms away from my head and saw Fane fly to the window ledge and sit.

I stared, dumbfounded. "You'll do it?"

Fane just continued to stare at me, so I slowly inched forward until my arm was nearly touching the owl.

Cautiously I began to tie the letter to Fane, and retreated quickly once I was finished. "Deliver this letter to Hermione Granger, you've been there before. Thank you Fane."

I opened the window enough for Fane to fly out, and watched in silent awe as he soared through the sky until he was no longer able to be seen.

I had just finished closing the window when I heard footsteps ascending the stairs.

I froze. _Crap. I wonder if I can jump out of his window without breaking too many bones._

Quickly shutting Fane's cage door, I ducked onto the floor and crawled under his bed, which was luckily high enough for me to fit. I knew it was only a matter of time before Draco realized Fane was gone, but what could he do then? Fane didn't normally hoot, so the silence in Draco's room wouldn't be strange to him.

My breathing quieted when I saw the door open and Draco's feet shuffle inside. I instinctively moved back further under the bed, not wanting to be seen. I watched as Draco scanned through the books on his shelf, looking for something in particular. He didn't seem to find it as he stepped away from the shelf and over to his desk. Draco scanned that for a few moments as well but then suddenly froze.

And sniffed.

I shut my eyes. _He__ smells my perfume._

I chanced opening my eyes and saw him sniffing again, much like a dog. His features set in an angry expression as he scrunched up some papers on his desk and burst out of the room.

My heart beat hopefully. _He only thinks I've been in his room. I need to get out, quick._

Scurrying from under his bed, I shot out of the door. He probably already checked my room, so I thought of going to the next best place.

The library.

Hermione would be so proud.

I raced towards the library, and once I reached it, counted my blessings as Draco wasn't here yet. I pulled out a random book from a shelf without looking at the title and jumped onto one of the couches by the fireplace, pretending that I was immersed in the book.

Sure enough, about five minutes later the library doors barged open and Draco stomped angrily towards me.

"You've been in my room," he spat.

Not a question, just a statement. An accusation.

"No I haven't," I argued, trying to sound convincing. "I've been here for the past few hours, reading."

Draco slid his icy gaze from my eyes to the book in my hand. His gaze narrowed.

"You're reading about how to make the perfect Contraception Potion. Have any plans on using that in the near future?"

He was still angry, but I could see the faint beginnings of a smirk on his lips.

I stared down at the book as well, horrified. The title glared back at me:

**Correct Contraception: Rightly Done So You Can Have Fun!**

I wanted nothing more than to sink into the chair and disappear.

_Why did the Malfoy's have a book like this in their library, anyway?_

"I...er...well..."I began, but couldn't form a lucid sentence in my humiliation.

"You never were a good liar, Christina," Draco snarled, snatching the book from me and tossing it away. I felt like a caged animal. "What were you doing in my room?" he demanded.

"I told you, I wasn't in your room."

"I _smelled_ you," he sneered.

"You recognize my smell, huh?" I taunted.

"It's much too strong, like you've just bathed in fruit."

"It's raspberry, thank you. And whether you've smelled me or not, I still wasn't in your room."

"I don't believe you," Draco spoke.

"Fine, don't believe me. I don't care!" I growled in frustration, getting up and picking the contraception book from the floor. "There's no reason I'd _want_ to go in your room, anyway."

I walked towards one of the bookshelves and carefully placed the book back where it belonged. I jumped when I felt Draco appear by my side. But he wasn't paying much attention to me anymore. He was rather engulfed in the numerous books that sat on the shelves, I noticed.

"What are you looking for?" I asked, remembering he was looking for something in his room as well.

"None of your business," Draco answered emotionlessly.

I put my hands on my hips, "You seem to be looking for something. Anything in particular?"

He glared at me for a moment, still not answering. He shifted his eyes away from me again and back onto the books, moving slowly down the aisle.

Minutes later, he spoke again, "If you _must_ know, I'm looking for a book that discusses potions that affect dreams."

I nearly dropped the book I was currently holding. "And nightmares?"

Draco clenched his jaw tightly, "And nightmares."

"So that means..." I strolled up to him, eyeing him suspiciously. "You're helping me?"

"No, I'm helping myself."

He rolled his eyes at my confused look.

"I was there during one nightmare and you attached to me like a grindylow. I'd rather not go through that again," he explained, not bothering to look at me.

"Oh, so you're _definitely_ not trying to ease my peace of mind," I teased, vaguely wondering why he was doing this. "You could've just left me be, you know."

"Not possible," he shook his head, throwing me a look over his shoulder. "Even if I ignored you that night, my parents, father especially, would've had me go and shut you up. So either way I would've been forced to go and close your massive mouth. The aftermath, however, was not one I anticipated. So if you have no nightmares, then that means I won't be subjected to those conditions once again."

I had to laugh loudly at his wording. "Draco, you're talking as if I tortured you or something."

"Might as well have," I heard him murmur under his breath.

"Hey, it's not like _I_ enjoyed it. I just needed some support, and you were the only one around. So by default, it was you. Believe me, I would've hugged _Snape_ if he was there, SNAPE," I shivered at the horrifying thought. "But out of the three people that could've come, I'm glad it was you."

Draco looked at me weirdly.

I shrugged. "Can you not look at me like that? I didn't bloody fall in love with you," I grimaced. "It's called human comfort. I needed to know that I was back in reality, that _someone_ was there. But I don't expect you to understand that. More yet, you didn't have to stay with me that night, even though I was a pathetic begging mess that wouldn't let you go. That was _your_ choice," I gave him a pointed glare. "Anyway, the fact that you're reading into this so much is making me suspicious."

Draco scoffed. He went to say something, most likely a verbally insulting comment, but something caught my eye behind him.

I peered intently at the large window gracing the east end of the library, and noticed with apprehension that Fane had swooped down and landed on the ledge. He pecked the window once.

Draco noticed me peering over his shoulder. "What are you loo-" He began to turn around.

I sharply grabbed him by the shoulders and twisted him until his back was against the bookshelf, causing it to wobble slightly. His face was twisted in a mirage of shock, anger, and curiosity. The anger won out in his tone.

"What are you doing?" he asked furiously, staring at my face with bewilderment.

"I – uh," I paused, gazing frantically between Draco and the window.

"Get your hands off me," Draco ordered, and his breath washed over my face. It was warm, and smelled of his familiar mint.

This made me realize how close my face was to his. I held his eye contact as I slowly withdrew, allowing at least a foot of space between our faces.

"Well, you see, I need..." I trailed off, stalling for as long as I could. "I need you to reach a book for me."

I groaned at my own weak excuse.

"And you needed to throw me into the bookshelf to ask?" Draco questioned stonily.

"Yes, sorry about that," I mumbled. "It's a reflex."

"If you want me to get your book, you need to take your hands off me."

I peered down at my hands on his shoulders for a moment before slowly retracting my arms. "So you'll get my book?" I asked, looking up to decide what book to ask for.

"I'd rather not," Draco replied detachedly, brushing past me and leaving the library abruptly.

I breathed a sigh of relief and quickly moved to the window, knowing it was only a matter of time before Draco realized that Fane was missing. I swiveled open the window and quickly took the letter off of Fane's leg.

"Fane, go back to Draco's room, okay? I'll go and open the window for you there," I instructed the bird, and watched in anxiety as he flew quickly away.

I raced out of the library and down the hall, back to Draco's room. Knocking on his door for good measure, I panicked when I heard his voice. I was hoping he wouldn't be there. I opened the door and stepped inside nervously. "Hi."

"Can I help you?"

"Maybe," I said after a beat or two.

He looked at me strangely when I didn't continue. "So?"

"Well I aAAAAA," My voice level rose when I saw Fane perch on the window ledge, taping his beak periodically. "I WELL I CAN YOU MAYBE UH I GUESS PERHAPS UH WELL UM UH HELP ME WITH MY POTIONS WORK?" I used my hands while talking, trying to draw attention to myself.

Draco looked at me like I had three heads. "Well," he began, his voice betraying his confusion. "I guess I have nothing better to do," he sighed and started to walk out of his room.

Right when he entered my room, I nearly fell over myself trying to get to the window. I opened it quickly, and then guided Fane to his cage. He didn't seem to want to go in at the moment, so he made to get away. "Fane," my voice came out as a squeak. "Please get in your cage."

I don't know if Fane took note of the fear in my voice, but he stopped fighting and gently hopped into the cage. Moments after I closed it and made my way back to my room, Draco appeared again.

"Aren't you coming? I'm not going to help you if you just waste my time," He seemed perturbed.

"Uh yeah, I just had a...leg cramp," I supplied.

He glanced at me blankly. "Sure. Let's go."

I followed him back to my room, feeling the letter safely tucked into my pocket. My heart was racing at the fact that my plan had actually worked. He may suspect something, but definitely not that. Usually things like this don't work out for me.

_Maybe my luck is changing. _

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'd just like to say thank you to all of those that took the time to read my writing, and also review. It means a lot, really. I hope I am living up to your expectations. Thanks again and keep reading! R&R! :D**


	7. Revelations

**Disclaimer: Do I have to keep doing this or do you get the point that I don't own Harry Potter?**

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No, my luck definitely wasn't changing.

I spent the next hour or so listening to Draco ramble on about Potions in a monotonous voice that made me want to jump out my window. I was beginning to think it would come to that, because I wasn't going to be able to take another minute of this.

And on top of the droll and repetitive explanations, Draco would patronize me if I didn't catch on fast enough.

_"No that's wrong."_

_ "Have you always been this daft?"_

_ "How did you even pass last year?"_

_ "I'm wasting my time."_

_ "Don't make me repeat myself."_

_ "I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be smart?"_

_ "You need a stronger short-term memory or another brain."_

_If I hear another insult come out of his mouth I swear I'm gonna take my wand and shove it up his-_

"Christina, are you even listening to me?" Draco questioned, his eyes narrowing to slits.

"Yes," I snapped rather harshly. "But you aren't _teaching_ me anything. You're telling me, and then insulting me when I still don't get it right."

Draco scoffed, "I never said I would _teach_ you anything. I said I would _help_, and that's what I'm doing. I thought you'd be a bit more appreciative since I'm taking my own time to be here."

I clasped my hands together, "Oh Draco I'm so very honored that you took time out of your busy, busy life to help little ole me!" I squealed sarcastically, unable to help myself.

"I'm leaving," Draco sighed impatiently, and I made no move to stop him.

I was thoroughly annoyed, and even though he was my only help at the moment, I would take my chances doing it myself. I didn't feel like being insulted every other minute.

Since my schoolwork was out anyway, I decided that now would probably be a good time to start it.

Transfigurations came easy to me, and so that was finished swiftly. I was always good at it, and I had even gotten an Outstanding on the O.W.L in that subject.

Ah, the O.W.L.s Those were some fun times. Seriously.

And by fun I mean having the whole class go through panic attacks and relying on Calming Draughts to stay sane.

_Fun._

Hermione was the worst one of all.

I remember having to stay up with her all night, going over wand movements, spell pronunciations, and so. much. more. I was rather impressed that I managed to stay up at all the next day. I thanked the near pitchers of pumpkin juice I consumed.

But eventually when I got my scores, all the hard work paid off. I got an Outstanding in Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against The Dark Arts, and Care of Magical Creatures, Exceeds Expectations in Potions, Astronomy, Herbology, and Acceptable in History of Magic.

I took eight O.W.L.s , and passed them all.

But I was a bit disappointed with my Potion's score, because I knew Snape only took in Outstanding students into Advanced Potions. I _really_ needed that class if I had any hope of becoming an Auror.

Charms was next, and that was done quickly.

Then I did my Divination work, although I didn't take it too seriously. Hermione, however, was adamant about not taking such rubbish when she could 'fill her schedule with other meaningful, fascinating, subjects'.

Doing my Defense Against the Dark Arts work was a struggle, because I had no idea who the professor would be, and didn't know what they liked in work. Now was the time that I wished Lupin would come back and teach, he really was the best, and I hardly ever see him anymore.

Next was Herbology, and after attempting it for a half an hour, I wished I had the means to owl Neville for help.

This made me think of him, and wonder how his summer was with his grandmother. She was always so strict with him. I remembered in the first years at Hogwarts how he would always get howlers from her. Most were about 'upholding the family honor'. Though our situations were vastly different, it comforted me to know that I wasn't the only one with strict parents who wanted me to 'uphold the family honor'.

Though, I'm sure Neville's grandmother and my parents had two totally different definitions of honor.

Neville's parents were tortured with the Cruciatus Curse into insanity by Death Eaters, Voldemort's minions.

I saw Death Eaters for the first time last year, when I traveled to the Department of Mysteries with Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Ginny, and Neville. They always freaked me out since.

But true horror dawned on me when I realized...I knew Death Eaters.

Actually, I was related to them.

My own parents were on the side of Voldemort, I knew.

After I had found that out, I distanced myself more from them, from their world. I was never going to be a part of that, not after seeing what they could do, what evil they _have_ done.

Draco's parents were Death Eaters too.

But not Draco...not yet.

If he were to become one, any pity or remorse I had for him and his life would disappear. It would be his choice. A weak one, at that. But weak choices are made by weak people.

What happened at the Department of Mysteries was really an eye opener for me.

That was the first time I saw Bellatrix..it was the first time I saw...Voldemort.

He scared me, more than I care to admit. I know people would say 'it's foolish to not be afraid of him', but I _never_ liked to admit fear.

And while his serpentine features haunted me in my dreams, that wasn't the scariest part about him. Oh no.

It was his eyes.

Rather, what those eyes contained.

His eyes were filled with pure hate, hate that stemmed from years and years of mistrust and ill fate. They betrayed nothing and everything all at once.

So much emotion, albeit dark.

Though nobody was seriously hurt that day, on either side, it was still a day of awakening and realization.

The Minister of Magic finally ended his firm stance that "Voldemort is not back!" after witnessing him with his own eyes.

And I also got to throw a couple hexes at Lucius Malfoy.

So, his immense dislike for me is understandable.

Once it had been announced that Voldemort was, in fact, back and plotting, the Wizarding World had turned into chaos.

And it seemed to get worse as time went on.

Since the end of fifth year, The Daily Prophet would report occasional slayings of muggle families. And these vicious murders happened more often as the months passed.

The Wizarding World was slowly changing.

People became more closed off, more fearful, more distrusting. Some even considered fleeing. I didn't know what it meant for Hogwarts this year, but I only hoped that things would be okay.

But, it wasn't like fifth year was party.

Last year, the Ministry of Magic began implementing "Educational Decrees", due to the vile Dolores Umbridge. Her plan was to to discredit and ruin Albus Dumbledore and replace him, which she eventually did.

And that was why we formed Dumbledore's Army. It was originally Hermione's idea, and once we had enough members, we put our plans into action.

Ultimately, after the Department of Mysteries, the Ministry had no choice but to accept that Voldemort had returned and Umbridge was removed from Hogwarts, much to our pleasure.

My heart went out to Dumbledore, and how he must be dealing with this. There was never a day that went by that I didn't think of him, and the many things he'd done for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I.

I pushed aside my unfinished work, deciding to continue Potions and Astronomy another time. I rubbed my face a few times. _How did I go from thinking about Neville to thinking about this? _I sighed softly and placed my hands onto my lap. My right hand landed on my pocket, and I suddenly remembered Hermione's letter.

I hastily pulled it from my pocket and untied the string holding it closed.

_Dear Christina,_

_ Malfoy's owl is __sitting on my windowsill as I write, so you obviously managed to use him. Did Malfoy let you? Or did you have to do it in secret? I'm guessing the latter. Anyway, you seem very serious about these nightmares. Well, in mine, I usually wake up in a dark room; it's very cold and damp. I try searching for an exit, but can never find one. It's like I'm trapped in the room. So then the lights go out, and I look around, and then see this man...or at least I think it's a man. He's pointing a wand at me and smiling...but not a normal smile. It's twisted and dark. And he says his name is...well...He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Curious, right? And then he casts a spell at me and I can feel this immense pain...like my organs are exploding or something. And then I wake up, that's all. I have these nightmares sporadically, but they started I believe the first week of summer. Anyway, what are your nightmares about? Please right back soon, you are starting to worry me._

_All my love, Hermione_

I could feel myself begin to slump over as I read the description of her nightmare over and over and _over_ again. There was no coincidence now. It was clear.

I nearly snapped my quill in half as I rushed to write a response.

_Dear Hermione,_

_Hermione, I am having the same exact nightmares. Right to the smallest detail. At first I thought it was a coincidence that we both were having nightmares, but now I'm sure that something else in going on. I have a suspicion that we may not be the only ones having nightmares. I'm going to write to Ron to see if I'm right. Do you think this has something to do with the Department of Mysteries? Write back ASAP._

_Love, Christina_

After I folded up her letter, I wrote one to Ron.

_Ron,_

_I'm sorry I haven't replied in a while, I've been busy and unable to use Malfoy's owl. But Ron, I do have something to ask you, and it's potentially serious. Are you having nightmares? And if so, can you describe them? Since I don't know if I'll be able to write to the others, can you owl Harry, Luna, and Neville for me, asking them the same thing? Ask Ginny as well. I know it seems silly, but it will make sense later. Please write back as soon as you hear from everyone._

_Love, Christina_

I put my head in my hands, nausea filling my chest.

I already knew what Ron was going to say. I just knew.

I fumbled with the paper on my desk and pulled out Hermione's letter, reading over it once more. I couldn't help the panic that shivered through my body.

We were having the same nightmare.

Something was definitely wrong.

* * *

**A/N: Shortest chapter yet, but more to come soon. And this was important for plot reasons. SERIOUSLY IMPORTANT: Sirius Black doesn't die in the Department of Mysteries. He's too good of a character to not have in this story. I told you, this is AU. ALSO IMPORTANT: Lucius Malfoy does not get sent to Azkaban following the Department of Mysteries...he gets away. So that is why he is here during the summer at the Manor. Anyway...enjoy and be ready for more! **


	8. Mission Impossible

**Disclaimer: I own Harry Potter in my imagination, not reality.**

* * *

Clutching the two letters tightly in my clammy hand, I knew what I had to do. I needed to get them delivered, and Draco was my only option. I stopped in front of his door and brought up my hand to knock.

_Drastic times call for drastic measures._

I knocked a few times. "Draco, can I speak with you?"

I heard a chair moving across the floor, and seconds later the door opened, "What?"

He still looked annoyed with me. "I need to talk to you."

Draco examined me closely for a good minute before opening his door further and allowing me in. He sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. He was waiting. He would listen.

"I'm sorry."

This admission caused Draco to straighten in his chair, and if he was a dog, I imagined, his ears would be perked up.

"For?" Draco asked, cautiously.

"Not appreciating your help, before. I understand that you were taking time out of your free time to help me, and I...do appreciate it," I swallowed my pride, this was too important.

Draco glared at me skeptically for a few moments before saying, "What do you really want?"

I sighed. _Why did I think I could fool him so easily?_

I braced myself for rejection. "I need to use Fane."

"No."

And there it was.

"Draco, listen to me," I began seriously, trying to plead my cause. "This is important, okay, you need to believe me."

Draco still didn't budge.

"I'll give you anything. Money, though I don't have much. I'll do your schoolwork for you. I'll clean your room. Just please, let me use Fane."

Draco paused, his eyes widening slightly. "I don't want your _money_," he spat out, shaking his head. "And you certainly aren't doing my work, based on your display with Potions," He continued to stare at me, calculatingly. "And you won't _touch_ anything in my room," He paused, and for a moment his eyes softened. He looked at me for a good five minutes before sighing loudly and running a hand through his hair, messing up his signature slicked back look.

As strands fell over his forehead, I was surprised at how good he looked like that.

I closed my mind, trying not to think those thoughts at the present moment...or ever.

Finally, Draco looked at me again. "Christina, I'm warning you," he began, and my shoulders slumped in defeat. He wasn't going to let me borrow Fane. "This _will_ be the last time, regardless of the circumstances."

My head nearly snapped off my neck with how forcefully I looked up. "What?" I gasped.

"Last time, Christina. Come on, say it with me. _Last. Time_," he spoke, giving me a pointed glare. "Now give me your letters."

I was robotically going through the motions, my mind still in shock. I honestly thought he wasn't going to give in.

"Thank you," I said honestly.

"Hm," Draco make a soft noise, and I wasn't sure what he was trying to say, if anything at all. I watched as he sat back down at his desk, and took out some quill and parchment.

"You're writing letters too?" I asked, trying to make casual conversation.

"Yes," Draco said simply.

"To who?"

"People."

"Who, though?"

"I can see why you don't like it when someone keeps _pestering you with questions_," Draco snapped, still not looking at me.

I scoffed, but remained silent, just looking at him. After a couple minutes Draco finally gave in and turned to me. "I'm writing letters to my friends. I'm inviting them over."

"Oh you mean dumb and dumber?" I sneered, knowing full well he knew I meant Crabbe and Goyle.

Draco gave me a look of mock offense. "Their names are Vincent and Gregory. I'd even appreciate Crabbe and Goyle. But not _those_ names," Draco mimicked me, using one of the lines I had used before.

I shook my head in frustration but couldn't help the amused smile that appeared on my face. "Who else?"

"Just some Slytherins."

I threw my arms up in the air dramatically, "So I'm gonna be the only Gryffindor with a bunch of Slytherins? How fair is that?"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Who says you'll be with us? You, my dear _Gryffindor_, will be in your room."

"Making no noise and pretending I don't exist?" I suggested sarcastically.

"Exactly," Draco replied simply.

I glared at him for a moment. "You know your father said no parties."

"This isn't a party."

"What is it then?"

"A gathering."

I snorted, "Do you think it will matter to your father? If he finds out you had a bunch of people here, without his permission, he'll flip! And I can bet you my entire savings, which really isn't that much, that your father will find a way to blame me."

Draco shrugged, "I am writing to father, asking to have some friends over. I know he'll approve, but he just won't know I already invited them."

I pointed a threatening finger at him. "If I'm gonna be going down for the whole thing, at least let me get something out of it. Let me invite a friend over."

I knew the point was moot, however, as none of my friends would fancy a trip to Malfoy Manor.

"No," Draco said shortly.

"Why?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No. Now kindly leave my room."

I visibly pouted, and just like with my parents, it had no affect on Draco.

His tone signaled that he wouldn't answer any more of my questions, so I took my sorry self back to my room and flopped onto the bed.

_Might as well finish my schoolwork._

Fighting back a flicker of annoyance, I emptied my school trunk on my desk and set to finishing the subjects I had left.

* * *

It was only when I finally put my quill down that I noticed the time.

_Wow, I've been working for two hours straight. Way to go, Christina. You deserve a treat!_

I lifted myself off of the chair and cringed at how sore my back was. I ran one of my hands over my spine, hoping to alleviate some of the tension. As I started to leave the room, Draco's instructions came to mind.

_"You, my dear Gryffindor, will be in your room."_

Well, I'm hungry. Does he expect me to starve? _Probably_.

I ambled down the hall, making it my mission to go undetected until I reached the kitchen. I let out a huge blow of air once I reached my destination, knowing I wasn't caught. Searching through the refrigerator, I was met with various types of food, all looking quite delicious.

As I pulled out a number of dishes and tried to balance them along my arms, I nearly jumped and died when I came face to face with someone as I shut the refrigerator door.

"Hello, Flint," I said coldly, turning my back to him as I placed all the dishes on the counter. Marcus Flint was a Slytherin in his last year. It should have been his last year _last year_, but he failed the exams the first time around. And if that didn't give you a clear picture of his mental capabilities, let me put it this way.

He's a big, _big_, idiot.

"Mi-ro-o?" Marcus hiccupped a couple times, letting me know that he was indeed, drunk.

"Yes, Flint," I said slowly, like I was talking to a child. "Go back to your little party and let me eat."

"You look-" _Hiccup_. "-cute tonight," Marcus slurred, stalking slowly towards me.

"You're too kind," I mumbled sarcastically, plopping a strawberry into my mouth.

"How-w about...we...go-o into a s-separate...room and ha-ave a little f-fun?"

"Gosh Flint," I held a hand up to my chest in mock flattery. "That sounds...really bad. No thanks."

I grabbed the bowl of strawberries and tried to walk around Marcus but he suddenly swung an arm out, wrapping it around my upper thighs.

"Flint!" I shouted, backing away furiously. But the chase seemed to thrill the drunken boy, and he approached me again. I made another break for it, but Marcus caught me around the waist again, and this time the impact caused him to lose his balance, and we fell to the ground. The bowl of strawberries I was holding crashed down, and the glass spread out across the floor. "Flint, get _off_ me!"

Marcus was pressing me against the ground and even with my strength, I couldn't push him. We're talking about a muscular Quidditch captain here. He rolled us over once, and grasped onto my wrists roughly. I tried to pull away, but this only led to us rolling over _again_.

And this was when I felt a sharp pain in my thigh.

"Merlin Flint! I swear, you better watch yourself on the Quidditch pitch, I'm going to make it my mission to injure you as much as possible."

_What could Madame Hooch say if a bludger 'accidentally' collides with his head?_

"See Flint, _this_ is why you don't have a girlfriend. Your approach is much too aggressive," I grit my teeth, trying to keep a focused head, despite the uncomfortable situation.

I was starting to get fairly frustrated, and the pain in my leg was getting increasingly worse, but before I had the chance to verbally insult Flint again, he practically _flew_ off me. Not wasting any time, I rolled a couple times to my right until I hit the edge of the kitchen counter.

Once I regained clear vision, I looked up and saw Flint on the floor...with Draco standing over him.

"Get up," Draco commanded in a dangerous voice that I had never heard before.

After Flint got up unsteadily, Draco dragged him by the collar of his shirt out into the hallway and out of my sight, while I continued to sit there, somewhat in shock. I blew out a breath, attempting to use the kitchen counter to help myself sit up. Glancing down at the kitchen floor, I could see a small trail of blood mingled with glass up until where I sat. Checking myself for wounds, there were none visible on my legs until I ran my hand underneath my right thigh and felt a shock of pain.

_I seriously wish I could use magic right now, I could heal this one two three with a healing spell._

I sighed with annoyance and reached my arms to the kitchen counter above me. Using all the strength that was left in my arms, I lifted myself off the ground until I was standing straight up.

I gave the strawberries on the ground a forlorn look before attempting to walk back to my room. The pain in my thigh was making it hard for me to balance, and I had to grab onto the kitchen counter again. I had moved roughly two feet when I felt someone lift me gently. I quickly turned in surprise and saw Draco's still angry face, gazing intently forward.

"What did I tell you, Christina?" Draco asked harshly as he ascended the stairs. "I told you to stay upstairs for a reason. Why didn't you listen to me? My inebriated friends wouldn't have a problem taking advantage of a pretty girl, even if they are a Gryffindor," Draco talked quickly and angrily, mostly to himself, as he carried me to my room.

My mind was still reeling from what Draco had unconsciously said when I flinched as he pressed over my wound with his arm. Draco seemed to notice.

"What happened?" he asked, his angry tone still present but subdued.

"Cut by glass," I explained quickly when his eyes flashed again. "I'm okay."

Draco kicked open my bedroom door and walked in slowly, trying to find his way in the dark. Once he put me down in my bed softly, he flicked on the lights and glanced at me, the anger still in his eyes.

"Where's your wound?" he asked impatiently.

"The underside of my right thigh."

Draco seemed to contemplate this for a moment before saying, "I need to see it."

My face flushed red with embarrassment and I shook my head quickly. "No, I told you, I'm okay."

"Stop arguing with me," Draco ordered. "You'll need to take off your pants, as well."

I nearly expired with embarrassment. "Can I do it myself?"

"No, you won't be able to see what you're doing."

"But..."

"You need to get over your embarrassment because you're already causing a stain on the sheets. Hurry up, I have to get back downstairs." Draco seemed fairly frustrated with me.

_He doesn't have to help me...it's not like I need his help._

I glanced down and saw that there was already a forming stain of red under me. After a moment of thinking I finally resigned. "Fine, just make it quick."

Gathering up some of my courage, which had been deserting me lately, I slowly began to tug off my pants. Draco had the sense to turn around as I did this.

"Done," I mumbled, and watched as Draco turned around swiftly. His movements stalled a bit as I saw his eyes sweep over my exposed legs, running them back and forth until I cleared my throat nervously.

"Turn over," Draco instructed blandly, motioning with his finger for me to turn. Closing my eyes and trying to forget about this embarrassing situation, I quickly rolled over until I was flat on my stomach. I heard Draco shuffling beside the bed, but I still didn't feel any pressure on my leg.

_Is he gonna do this or w-_

I let out a small gasp and nearly jumped when I felt Draco's nimble fingers brush against the skin above the back of my knee. If I had a voice at the moment, I would've whispered his name, but right now any sound was caught in my throat.

His fingers trailed slowly up the length of my upper thigh, until I felt them appraising my wound. My whole leg began to tingle slightly, and I didn't think it was because of blood loss.

"It's not that deep, so I don't have to use a healing spell," Draco finally spoke.

"You couldn't use a healing spell anyway. No magic outside of Hogwarts, and your father isn't here to protect you," I reminded him in a snippy tone.

"That doesn't matter; I still would've had to use it."

We both were silent for a couple moments.

"I'll be right back," Draco said, getting up from his knees and brushing off his pants.

"Where are you going?" I began to have a mild freak out, wondering what would happen if someone were to come in.

"Calm down," Draco rolled his eyes, as if he had heard my thoughts, "No one is allowed on this floor, so you don't have to worry about someone walking in. I just need to get something to clean your cut."

I accepted his words and laid my head back down on the pillow, focusing solely on my breathing. A couple minutes later I heard the door open and close again, and I had to peek out just to make sure it was Draco.

Kneeling down at the side of the bed again, he warned, "This is gonna stung _a bit_. Do you want to hold my hand?" Draco asked slowly, as if he was talking to a child.

"What?" I gasped, confused.

"So you can squeeze it if it hurts too much," Draco explained. "My mum used to do that for my when I was little, whenever she needed to clean and heal a wound the muggle way."

"Oh. Uh. Sure yeah," I said awkwardly, holding out my hand. I felt Draco's fingers intertwine with my own, and I immediately felt a spark.

"Ready?" he asked, but before I could answer yes or no, I felt a wet sensation on the back of my thigh, followed by sharp pain, like I was stung by a bee. I did indeed grab onto his hand tighter, trying to ease the pain. "You git! A bit? A BIT?" I ground out, pushing my head down into the pillow further.

"Stop being such a baby and _stop_ moving," Draco commanded, trying to hold me still.

"Shut up," My voice was muffled by the pillow, so I didn't even think he heard me.

Moments later I felt him applying a bandage, and once it was all taped up, his hands still didn't leave my leg. I turned my head and looked at him curiously.

"Do you want me to kiss it better?" he smirked darkly.

I narrowed my eyes and pushed him with my right arm, causing him to fall back on his heels.

"I can't believe this," I shook my head, turning over delicately and then tossing the comforter over my legs.

"How about this? If I ever get a wound next to my groin, I'll let you clean it."

"_OUT!_"

As he went the leave, however, I had one final sentiment. "Hey, Draco?"

"Hm?" he asked, stopping by the doorframe.

"Next time, I get to invite some friends. If you think _I'm_ injured, wait until you see what we could do to _you_."

* * *

** A/N: Three chapters in a day...isn't that nice? R&R! :D**


	9. Gerda's Theory

**Disclaimer: ****_I really don't own Harry Potter._**

* * *

A couple days later, Lucius and Narcissa returned home. Their pale skin showed no signs of being in the Italian sun, however, and the only indication that they had been away was their luggage. Well, that and the fact that Draco and I were alone for a week.

The first thing Lucius did was check the Manor for any misplacement. Draco had already knew he would do that, and thought ahead. That morning he instructed his house elf Gerda to clean and prepare, making everything look as good as new.

Lucius seemed to accept the state of the Manor, because he turned from evaluating and followed his wife towards their chambers. Draco gave a sigh of relief.

You know what, so did I.

If Lucius did happen to find something out of place, I no doubt would've been blamed for it anyway. This time, however, I got lucky.

* * *

That night, dinner with the Malfoys was painfully awkward. I was so used to it just being Draco and I.

Granted, Draco and I barely said a word to each other, but we still tried to make civil and casual conversation.

Now, no one said a word, and the only form of communication was blank or cold stares.

Finally, Narcissa broke the silence, like I figured she eventually would, "The Hogwarts owl came today. Did you receive your supply lists?"

Yes, the Hogwarts owl _did_ come today, bringing with it our Hogwarts letters and supply lists.

I rather hoped that it would've been Fane, with letters from Hermione and Ron. But after three days, he still hasn't returned. I brought it up to Draco who waved away my concern. He told me that it was normal for Fane to be away for a couple days at a time.

"Yes mum," Draco's reply brought me back from my internal thoughts. Narcissa nodded.

"You should get your materials from Diagon Alley, soon. Don't waste time," Lucius suggested, but with his tone it came out more like a command.

"Yes, father. I plan on going tomorrow," Draco informed.

_I didn't know that._

Lucius turned his cold gaze to me. "And you?" he asked, rather harshly. "Do you even have enough of your _own_ money to pay for your things?"

I grit my teeth, trying not to show my offense to his subtle insult. Well, not so subtle.

"Before they left, my parents gave me enough funds to pay for my school things," I answered.

I knew that I wouldn't be able to afford everything if I didn't shop in the hand me down stores. It's not like it mattered; this is what I went through every year. But as long as I had the material, no matter the condition, I was happy and set.

Though, thinking about school shopping made me feel a bit sad. Every year, since second year, I would go with Ron and his family to Diagon Alley, much to my parents' displeasure. Ron and I shopped in the same stores, so we already knew what to get and picked up things for each other on the way.

This year I wouldn't be able to go with him, or even any of my friends. _I'll probably go alone._

Narcissa suddenly clapped her hands together, "Draco, why don't you take Christina along with you? I'm sure she'll need company."

I mentally rolled my eyes. _I have friends. You may try to act like my kind of friends don't exist, but THEY DO. Merlin, everyone acts like I'm some type of lonely hermit._

"I don't think Christina would want to join me, mother," Draco said in the politest tone he could manage, but it was clear to me that he really didn't like the idea.

"Why not? Christina, you can do with Draco tomorrow, yes?" Narcissa turned to me.

I bit my lip to stop myself from spluttering out words, a nervous habit of mine. "Mrs. Malfoy, I think it would be better for me to go another time."

"Nonsense, why make two trips? It's unnecessary. You'll both go tomorrow," Narcissa's tone was light, but I knew it was a command rather than a request.

I sighed in defeat and pushed around a couple of cherry tomatoes in my plate. Chancing a look at Draco, his outward appearance didn't change by much, but the slight clench in his jaw told me he too was annoyed. He just couldn't argue with his parents.

* * *

After I had finished my dinner, I politely excused myself and went up to my room. My shoulders were tense, and I had a feeling of anxiety welling up in my muscles. I figured it was due to waiting for letters from Hermione and Ron, and the impending events of tomorrow.

Deciding that maybe I should do a bit of stretching to ease my body, I grabbed my comforter from the bed and spread it out across the floor. I threw off my dinner dress and rummaged through my drawers for some black yoga pants and a stretchy tank top. After donning the new clothes, I positioned myself on the comforter and stretched my arms over my head.

Immediately I could feel every part of my body loosening, and I continued on, hoping it would bring more benefits. I leaned down until my hands were against the floor and held that stretch for ten seconds.

The door to my room opened abruptly, catching me off guard. I had to steady myself from falling over. I looked between my legs at the intruder, and rolled my eyes when I saw Draco.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice slightly strained from my position. Draco's eyes weren't on mine, however, and I noticed him conspicuously glancing at my legs and, to my mortification, my backside. "My eyes are here, Malfoy," I snapped, regaining his attention. "Are you here for a reason, or are you just gonna stare at me?"

Draco scoffed, but didn't say anything about my comment. "Fane just came back. He's brought you a letter."

"_A_ letter? As in, only one?"

"It would appear so."

"Okay, can you give it to me?"

"You already seem...preoccupied," Draco drawled, stealing another glance much like before.

"Then put it down somewhere," I sighed through my nose. "And leave."

Draco stood still for a few moments before slowly walking forward. I felt him lightly place the letter on my lower back. My shirt had ridden up, and his fingers slowly danced across my exposed skin. I barely had time to make sense of the sensation because a second later his fingers were gone and he had walked out of the room.

After regaining my wits, I slowly pulled myself up and into a standing position. The letter Draco had placed on my back fell to the ground, and I fell into a squat to pick it up. I peered at the writing on the outside of the letter, and recognized Hermione's perfect calligraphy covering it.

I placed my comforter back on the bed after sweeping it off with my hand to get any dust off it. Plopping myself onto the mattress, I tore open the letter and began to read.

_Dear Christina,_

_Right after I got your letter I hit the books. Unfortunately, they have given me nothing. I cannot believe I'm saying this, but you have got me a bit worried...maybe we should ask Professor Trelawney? Divination may be a comical subject, but maybe we should see what she has to say about shared dreams? Have you heard back from Ron, yet? He hasn't sent me any new letters for a while. And, Christina...I really don't know if this is connected to the Department of Mysteries. How could it be? I guess we will have to wait and see what the others say. I will keep consulting my books, for the time being. Write soon and be well._

_Love, Hermione_

I pushed her letter to the side, slowly. If Hermione was suggesting we go to Trelawney, then she really must not have a clue what this is about. The suspicion was eating my brain, but the anxiety was worse. I closed my eyes, trying to slow my breathing and calm down. If Ron didn't write back soon, I would have to send him another letter. This was important, and sometimes Ron had a tendency to downplay things.

I rolled off of the bed and changed into pajamas. School shopping was tomorrow, and I briefly wondered if I would see _anyone_ I knew there. I had no way of telling any of my friends to meet me there, so I would just have to wait and see.

Walking over to Draco's room, I knocked once on his door before letting myself in. He was sprawled out on his bed, one leg down and the other bent at the knee. His hair seemed to be messed up, like he had run his hands through it. I couldn't help but stare for a couple seconds, remembering how much I liked it like that.

"Are you in here for a reason or are you just gonna stare at me?" Draco repeated my words from earlier, but rather than annoyance, his voice held subtle amusement.

"Your hair," I blurted out, before I could stop myself. "I like it better like this, not slicked back."

Draco raised an eyebrow, surprised by my admission. "Thank you, I suppose," he said softly, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Is that all you wanted to say?"

"No, of course not," I cleared my throat, embarrassed by my actions. "What time are we going to go to Diagon Alley tomorrow? I need to know when to wake up."

Draco ran a hand through his hair again, unconsciously. This time, he looked slightly annoyed. "Will noon be alright?"

I gaped at him. _He's asking and not telling? _"Yeah, sure," my voice wavered slightly. "Once we arrive, I can go off on my own, we don't have to stay together," I suggested.

I didn't really want to stay with him, anyway. We weren't going to go to the same stores. He would get new and pristine materials, and I would get my old and used ones. I really didn't feel like being judged and taunted the whole time.

Draco shrugged, not really caring. "Whatever, we'll see."

I stood there for a second, not knowing if he was going to add anything or if the conversation was over. After a couple more seconds, I sighed. "Goodnight," I waved my hand and backed out of his room. Before I made it into my own I heard him say the word back to me.

Once my bedroom door was closed for the night, I made a pit stop to my bathroom. All the nettle tea I had with dinner really caught up with me. I then brushed my teeth, staring at myself in the mirror all the while. My hair was stringy, which meant that I needed to wash my hair in the morning. My hair had the tendency to get greasy easily, even if I took a shower that very same morning. Well, nothing I can do about it now.

I walked out of my bathroom and pulled back my blankets before hopping into bed. I debated whether or not I wanted to read a bit, but decided against it as I needed to get up early tomorrow to shower and get ready.

I snuggled into my pillow. I only ever liked to use one, because I hated feeling like my head was too high up. So I took the second pillow and tucked it securely between my legs, a sleeping position I'd been using since I was a child.

Within the next minute, I was asleep.

* * *

The next morning I woke up at around 8am, which from the way I've been sleeping lately, was _way_ too early. I moaned gruffly before rolling myself out of bed, nearing falling off the mattress in the process. I jumped into the shower and carefully shampooed and conditioned my hair, before scrubbing my body with my favorite raspberry scented soap.

I used raspberry for _everything_. It was my favorite soap, my favorite perfume, and my favorite fruit.

It was Dumbledore's favorite jam, too, so whenever I had to go to his office he would offer me biscuits with raspberry jam.

I stepped out of the shower and wrapped my body in a towel before drying my body off. My hygiene process was very detailed and long.

First I made sure to get dressed, only putting on my pants so that my shirt wouldn't get wet.

Next I brushed out my hair, carefully combing my bangs out over my face so they would dry straight.

I then towel dried my hair until it was fairly dry, a process which took sometimes twenty minutes.

My hair was pin straight, the complete opposite of Hermione's. It was fairly drab, just lying on my scalp, doing nothing particularly interesting. Worst of all, no matter how many times I tried to curl it, it just wouldn't take.

I would be stuck with lifeless hair forever, and I had already accepted that fact.

Once my hair was dry, I pushed my bangs to the side so that they didn't cover my forehead. They never would stay for long, but I hated using bobby bins to hold them back. They would always leave creases in my hair.

I wish I could be one of those girls that could get away with the natural look, but I wasn't. I'm going to be honest, I didn't have flawless skin. And if anyone tells you that they have perfect, clean, flawless skin, they are lying to you.

I put powder on my face to cover up any imperfections, and finished it off with some mascara and chap stick.

After putting on my final articles of clothing, I was done.

Told you, detailed and long.

When I looked at the clock again it was nearing noon, so I grabbed my supply list and money and headed downstairs. I saw Draco eating at the dining room table alone.

"Morning," I greeted, causing him to jump slightly and turn to me.

"Morning," he replied, with a bland tone.

_Not a morning person, eh?_

"What's for breakfast?" I asked, feeling my stomach grumble.

"Anything," he shrugged. "House elf!"

Immediately after he shouted, Gerda appeared, looking at Draco with awaiting eyes. He gestured to me. "She wants breakfast."

Gerda quickly turned her gaze to me. "Miss, pick what you want...you can have anything Miss!"

I bit my lip. My family, for some reason unknown to me, never had a house elf, so I was unused to having to issue commands or requests. Even if my family _did_ have one I would be uncomfortable. Hermione and I felt strongly about house elf rights.

"Can I please have a biscuit with marmalade?" I asked nicely.

"Of course, Miss," Gerda nodded enthusiastically.

I gave the house elf a warm smile, "Thank you, Gerda."

After she scurried away, I heard Draco chuckling softly. "You don't have to be polite."

I gave him a cold look, "Treat others the way you want to be treated. House elves deserve respect, too."

Draco actually laughed out loud. "_Respect_?" he repeated, laughing again. "They are below us...only meant to serve and obey."

"A slave, you mean?" I asked harshly.

Draco pursed his lips before nodding slightly, "In lesser terms, yes."

I shook my head. "Your views are warped, twisted. _Nobody_ is meant to obey completely. That's not a life, that's a prison."

"In marriage vows, if I can recall, isn't it to 'love, cherish, and _obey_?" Draco sneered.

"If you would uphold those vows literally I feel terribly for the poor witch who marries you," I grimaced. "And you forget that in 1922 'obey' was removed from a bride's marriage vows. There goes your theory."

Before Draco could retort, Gerda appeared with my food. "Here you are Miss...enjoy..."

I thanked Gerda kindly and went to work on my biscuit. It was delicious, and with the marmalade, extraordinary. Gerda was even nice enough to bring me pumpkin juice. She remembered it was my favorite.

As I ate Draco sat beside me in silence, giving me an occasional glare. I went to reach for my pumpkin juice, but misjudged the distance and accidently sent it flying across the table...and onto Draco.

I covered my mouth with my hands in surprise. Draco immediately shot up and began wringing out his hands, sending droplets of juice everywhere. "House elf!" he shouted loudly. He didn't even look at me yet.

Gerda appeared yet again.

"Clean this mess up," Draco finally gave me a stony glare.

"I'm sorry Draco," I said sincerely, looking down at his crisp white shirt, which was now surely stained with pumpkin skin. "Really," I added, hoping to ease his anger.

He continued to glare at me, sizing me up, before giving an annoyed sigh and heading up to his room to change.

I twisted my mouth into a lopsided frown. This was definitely not a good start to the morning.

I looked back to Gerda who was cleaning the spilled juice, almost happily.

"Do you enjoy cleaning?" I asked her quietly.

"Yes Miss!" she replied cheerfully.

"The spill was my fault, Gerda. I'm sorry," I apologized. "Now Draco's gonna be a prat all day to me," I muttered, more to myself.

Gerda paused suddenly, giving me a strange look. "If Master didn't like you...he would have been angrier with you for ruining his shirt."

I snorted. "Draco doesn't like me...you saw how he reacted..."

"If Master didn't like you, even just a little, he would've punished you more."

I gave Gerda a contemplative look. "Does Draco punish you?"

Gerda shook her head quickly, but then her ears went down and she looked meek. "But other Master does."

"Lucius?" I questioned.

Gerda nodded, but then got back to cleaning. "I cannot speak ill of Master."

I nodded and didn't ask her any more questions, not wanting her to get in trouble. But I was still silently appalled by the situation.

Draco descended the steps a couple seconds later, wearing another outfit with much darker colors. "Are you ready?" he asked, his tone annoyed.

"Yes."

"Then let's go, you've already wasted enough time with your stupidity." Draco didn't give me another look as he made his way to the fireplace designated for floo powder. "Are you just going to stand there like an idiot? Get the floo powder!"

I gave a snort. _Of course Draco likes me. I'm sure he'd like me even better if I was sealed up in Azkaban._

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**A/N: Another chapter, done. Longest chapter yet! It's been a real blast going over all my old writing and trying to edit and detail it more. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and look for the next update probably tomorrow :D**


	10. Diagon Alley

**Disclaimer: I own Christina Miro. I also own a laptop. And a cat. And a plethora of hats. And a bunch of other things. Just not Harry Potter.**

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Floo powder was _definitely_ not my favorite way to travel.

No matter how many freaking times I used this method of transportation, the course was the same. I'd get swept around, nearly vomit from nausea, and then land roughly on the ground, falling over in the process.

And I was just about to too when I felt strong hands clasp my shoulders, pulling me back into a firm chest. I tilted my head back to see Draco staring at me, his gaze wavering slightly when we made eye contact.

"What?" he snapped when I still didn't look away.

"Nothing," I shook my head, dispelling my shock. "Thanks," I mumbled, pushing away from him and walking out into Diagon Alley.

It wasn't like I remembered.

Diagon Alley was now dark, cold, and nearly abandoned.

The few witches and wizards there _were_ there were huddled in groups, keeping next to each other tightly.

The once bright, noisy, and bustling place that brought me great joy was now dead and gone.

The colorful, an eye-catching shops and displays of books, potions, and other materials were lost to view, hidden behind large Ministry of Magic posters.

As I looked around, I could see numerous wanted posters for well-known Death Eaters hanging against the shop walls. There was no more light in this dreary place, and I suddenly wanted to leave as soon as possible.

At the end of the street, however, something bright caught my eye. And once I saw it, a small smile managed to slip onto my face.

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

I wondered if Fred and George would be there...they probably would.

In dark and difficult times, they were always the ones to try and get people to laugh. This was probably the best time for them because with Voldemort's return, laughter and smiles had decreased tremendously.

I briefly wondered if I would be able to get away from Draco long enough to visit. It would be amazing to see familiar faces.

Turning towards Draco, I found he was already looking at me. "Do you want to split up?" I asked, hopefully.

He cocked an eyebrow, glancing around Diagon Alley himself. "I don't think that's a good idea, Christina. If we're going to the same shops, why would we need to split up?" he asked.

"We're not going to the same shops," I rolled my eyes. "I don't have the money."

Draco turned his body fully to me suddenly. "At dinner yesterday you said that your parents had given you enough money for your supplies."

"I lied," my voice was small. "My parents didn't give me any money."

Draco narrowed his eyes slightly. "Then how will you pay for your things?"

"I need to dip into my own savings," I mumbled, shrugging. "This is going to wipe me out, but I have no other choice. It's a shame, too, now I won't even have any money for Hogsmeade trips, let alone an _owl_."

I loved going to Hogsmeade. Many students took going there for granted, because of how easy it was to get signed permission slips. But every year, I had to plead with my parents to even _consider_ letting me go.

I hated begging my parents, and usually I was too proud to do so. But when it came to Hogsmeade, I swallowed my pride and gave everything to my cause.

And by some miracle, they gave in and let me go.

"Why did you lie to my parents?" Draco questioned.

"I didn't feel like being taunted further. I already get enough punishment as is," I paused, not wanting to go into this here, or with Draco of all people. "It doesn't matter," I sighed indifferently. "You can insult me all you want, but I need to go to the second hand shops. I'll meet you after." I didn't bother waving before walking off, and I missed the undecipherable look Draco was wearing.

Instead of going to supply shops, however, I decided to pay a visit to Fred and George. The closer I got to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, the bigger my smile became. My solemn mood was temporarily forgotten as I glanced up to the smiling face above the door.

I glanced through the window of the shop and noticed that a fair amount of people were actually there. I turned my eyes to the other window, and read I sign that made me laugh audibly:

**WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT YOU-KNOW-WHO?**

**YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT U-NO-POO—**

**THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION THAT'S GRIPPING THE NATION!**

Not wanting to wait any longer, I threw open the shop door and entered quickly. I was barely through the entrance when I heard two identical voices.

"Christina!"

I glanced up and saw Fred and George leaning against a stair railing a couple feet above my head. They immediately descended and stopped a few feet in front of me. I looked them over, pursing my lips. Sometimes I honestly couldn't tell them apart. And now that they were wearing the same outfit, and had the _same_ haircuts, it was even more difficult.

I pointed to one twin, eyeing him closely. "George..." I murmured, and turned to the other twin. "And Fred?"

The twins glanced at each other. "Blimey Christina, you've known us for five years and still can't tell us apart?" George asked, shaking his head.

"Well, your own _mum_ sometimes can't even tell you apart, and she gave birth to you! Was I wrong?" I asked.

Fred laughed. "No you were right, we're only fooling you."

I rolled my eyes and couldn't help myself. I pulled them each in for a big hug, which they returned after a moment of shock at my quickness. "How's your mum, by the way?" I asked. "And the rest of the family?"

"All fine. Though, mum doesn't like it too much that we're here. As you probably saw, it isn't too cheery out there," George explained.

"But no matter, we can't let that stop us from running our business. And this is the best time to do it! With all the gloom, people need a bit of humor. And that's what we're here for," Fred included.

"Business hasn't seemed to decrease much, though, judging by all your customers now," I observed.

"Like we said, people need a light in this dark," George began.

"Spooky," Fred continued.

"Dismal," George said.

"Time," they completed together.

"I think you're right," I agreed, looking around the shop.

"We're surprised to see you here, though," Fred spoke. "Mum didn't even let Ron or Ginny come. We had to pick up the supplies for them."

"I came with Malfoy. Honestly, I just wanna get this over with."

"Malfoy, huh? Ron told us about you staying at Malfoy Manor. If you want, we can smuggle you home with us," George suggested.

I laughed, "I wish I could take you up on that offer, I'm seriously tempted to. But, I don't wanna give my parents another reason to use the killing curse on me," I smiled at them nonetheless, grateful for their offer. "I'm going to miss you and your pranks this year."

Fred smiled, "Well, take some of our items then. We need someone to continue on with the Weasley tradition, and Merlin knows Ron isn't the one to do it. The boy can't even find his way around a spoken joke."

"He's not _that_ bad," I laughed along with them. "And you know what? I think I will buy some supplies. I can't buy much though, I'm short on money right now," I murmured the last part quietly, not wanting to bring my financial situation to the spotlight.

"Buy?" George repeated. "For now, you can just take a couple items."

I gaped at him. "I can't do that!"

"Yes, it's quite alright Christina. We've known you for years now; we know what you're going through. Just take some stuff. We don't care," Fred said.

"We only ask that you tell everyone where you got them from," George added.

I still shook my head, adamant. "No, I need to pay for these things."

Fred and George both sighed. "How about this," George began. "We can give you these things now, and whenever you have enough spare money, you can pay us back."

I looked at him hesitantly.

The twins seemed to sense my resolve crack, because within the next minute they were towing me around the store, plopping things into my bag.

"Everyone needs at least one Extendable Ear," Fred deemed, tossing one in.

"Take some Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs too."

"Decoy detonators...really good when you need a quick diversion."

"Hey Georgie, think we should show her the WonderWitch collection?"

"Definitely."

"Guys, guys, this is too much," I protested meekly, but they ignored me and continued to fill my bag with treats.

"Need to get out of class? Skiving Snackbox is the product you want. There's the Fainting Fancies, Fever Fudge, Nosebleed Nougat..."

"Don't forget Puking Pastilles," George continued.

"They come in two color-coded parts," Fred explained. "One that causes the malady, and one that heals you once you're out of class."

I glanced up at the clock in the shop, and saw that it was already nearing 2pm.

"Fred, George, I need to get going now. I still have to shop for books," I said, stopping short as we went down the love potion aisle.

"Guess we got a little carried away," Fred chuckled. "But, it was nice seeing you Christina. Visit again sometime, and write to us too!"

"Yeah, mum's been asking us if you'd ever want to stay over for a holiday or something," George said.

My heart swelled, "That would be great! I just gotta get it past my parents. I'll get back to you on that, okay?" I suddenly felt my good mood begin to waver, knowing that I was going back out into the dreary street. "Thanks for everything though, guys. I appreciate it."

"Hey, it's what we're here for," Fred shrugged.

I gave them a final hug each before reluctantly leaving the shop.

Outside of the shop I immediately felt an icy breeze rush past me, which was strange because the weather was rather humid. I continued walking down the street until I spotted one of the shops I was looking for.

The Junk Shop.

This was a shop that sold secondhand items, like broken wands, cracked cauldrons, and, if I was lucky, they would sometimes have ripped Hogwarts books.

I entered the shop cautiously and soon realized that I was the only one there, other than the owner, who looked to be half asleep at the counter. Knowing my way around, I quickly went to the book aisle and saw with great relief all of the books I would need were there. Seems like most students went to Flourish and Blotts this year.

"_This_ is where you shop?"

I nearly had a heart attack when I heard Draco's voice behind me.

"Malfoy!" I whisper-shouted, clutching my chest. "You almost sent me into heart failure."

Draco didn't respond to my comments, though. He was too busy peering at the old and torn books on the shelf. "You're going to use this rubbish? Is it even legible?"

"I've managed for the past five years, I can manage now," I snapped, grabbing a book so harshly that the cover tore right off. Muttering a curse under my breath, I grabbed both book and cover and heaped them into my arms with the rest of the books.

"These books look like they're going to disintegrate within the next minute."

"I'll take what I can get, Malfoy. I'm not picky, and I certainly don't need _you_ judging my conditions," As I reached for another book, dozens of the pages tore apart and scattered around the floor. I could only stare in horror as I began to feel massive amounts of self-pity.

Trying to hold myself together, I kneeled down and started to pick up the fallen pages.

This was just my luck. Could nothing go right for me?

I tried my best to always do the right thing, to always stand up for what I believe in, and what do I get in return?

Sometimes I wondered if it was worth it suffering all this heartbreak, trouble, and disappointment just to fight for the good.

I shook my head as a couple tears slipped down my cheeks. Of course it was worth it. No matter what punishment I went through now, I knew that in the end it wouldn't be worth nothing. And that thought is what kept me going.

I nearly gasped out in surprise when I saw Draco bend down and help me pick up the scattered pages.

"I didn't mean to be insulting," I heard him murmur so quietly that I honestly wasn't sure if I heard him correctly.

Once all my papers were collected, we got off the ground and Draco turned around to walk someplace else in the store. I got back to picking up the necessary materials I needed. Things like a wand and cauldron I already had, so I didn't need to purchase them. Lucky for me too, because those usually were the most expensive items. I gathered up some damaged quills, ink, and ripped parchment.

Sometimes I wished I had the means to shop at regular stores like Flourish and Blotts or Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, but I refused to complain. This was my situation, and I had to make the most of it.

Moments later, Draco appeared by my side again. "Are you finished?" he asked.

"I think so," I replied, checking all the items in my arms.

"Just take anything else you need, anything extra."

I gave him a look, "I don't want this to run to _too_ much money. I think I'm done. I have to go pay."

"No," Draco said suddenly, pulling me back.

"What do you mean, 'no'? Do you expect me to steal? I know I may be as rich as you but I most certainly am not a _thief_!" I was offended by his words.

"No," Draco shook his head in exasperation. "You don't have to pay, it's already been paid for." He began to put all my items into my bag. "Are you sure you don't need anything else?"

I was frozen to the spot, looking at him half with shock and half with suspicion, "What do you mean 'it's already been paid for'?"

"I paid for them."

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**A/N: WELLLLLL. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I want to say a huge thanks to anyone who reads, favorites, follows, and especially reviews. You guys are the best! Your reviews give me motivation to post chapters quickly! (:**


	11. Severed Ties

**Disclaimer: Wouldn't it be awesome if I was J.K Rowling? But I'm not, so I don't own Harry Potter.**

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If life could have a plot twist, this moment would definitely be one of them.

"You...paid...for my things?" I asked Draco quietly, stuttering every couple words.

Draco merely looked at me uncomfortably, like he couldn't believe what he did either.

"Why – why would you do that?" I continued to ask questions.

"Just don't question it, okay?" Draco snapped. "I did it and it's done. Let's just go."

I glared at him. "I don't need your pity," I barked. "How much did it come to, I need to give you the money."

"Merlin Christina!" Draco shouted, waking the owner of the shop who had fallen asleep again. "I don't _want_ or _need_ your money. Trust me; _you_ need it more than I do."

"I don't care if you don't want or need it. I'm still going to give it to you. I'm not a charity case."

"Miro, just let this go. I-" Draco paused suddenly when we both heard a loud noise come from the outside of the shop. Draco turned around and stuck his head out of the shop door.

He quickly retreated, and when he turned to me, he had on one of the most serious expressions I'd ever seen him wear.

"Stay here," he instructed, his voice solemn.

"Like hell I am!" I tried to follow him out, but he held me back roughly.

"_Stay here_. Do as I say." He didn't say anything else as he slipped out of the shop, and surprisingly, I stayed put.

_What made Draco so worried?_ I wondered in my mind. It can't be something good.

When I heard another loud crash and then a shout, I no longer was able to just stay put. I cautiously stepped out of the shop, looking at my surroundings.

Left, right, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary except wizards and witches scurrying about.

Looking farther down the path, I noticed shopkeepers closing their doors and windows, latching them tightly shut. That was odd, but maybe they were going on breaks? Again, nothing seemed too peculiar.

But then I looked up.

Covering almost the entire sky above my head were dark clouds, swirling steadily. The surrounding area seemed to turn darker and darker within seconds, like the night had come early. More screams echoed through the alley, some female, some male.

I couldn't see any signs of Draco.

I was suddenly pushed forward by the owner of The Junk Shop, sufficiently removing me from the entrance. I watched as he shut the door and locked it up, his normally tan face pale white.

There was nowhere to take cover now. It seemed like every shop had locked its doors, and every witch or wizard on the streets were apparating away.

I had a pang of jealously momentarily, despite the situation. I couldn't apparate yet, but I signed up for the class this year since I would be turning seventeen on March 25th.

Looking up into the sky again, I noticed that it had almost taken on a green ethereal glow. I was starting to panic. Anything associated with green could only mean something bad. More screams could be heard again, and I immediately started towards them, thinking that I could help anyone who was in trouble.

The source of the scream, a young witch who looked to be in her late twenties, wasn't in any mortal danger. Instead, she was looking up, her eyes frightened. I followed her gaze and saw that same dark clouds from before, but now I could almost make out a shape.

And when I realized what it was, my bag of books slipped from my grasp and fell to the floor.

It was the Dark Mark.

I immediately pulled out my wand and then squatted to lift up my bag. Throwing it over my shoulder, I looked around furiously, trying to spot any signs of danger. I slowly stalked down the street, only taking inches long steps.

Before I even had time to blink, dozens of black clouds appeared all across the street, and with them brought...Death Eaters.

I was out in the open, I had nowhere to hide.

A couple of the Death Eaters immediately noticed me, and fully swerved to face me. One of them stopped short, recognition hitting his features.

"You," he spat, narrowing his eyes. "I remember you...from the Department of Mysteries!"

A tingle of fear shot up my spine, and before I even realized what I was doing, I pointed my wand and shouted, "_Stupefy!_"

The Death Eater was stunned by my sudden move and wasn't able to erect a shield in time. The other Death Eaters, however, jumped into action. I was immediately hit with numerous curses, none fatal, but it caused me to fly backwards, landing roughly on my back. I shot up immediately, despite the pain.

"I_mmobulus_!" I retaliated quickly, and managed to hit a Death Eater. My triumph didn't last long, however, as three others retaliated, and I was flat on my back again in a matter of seconds.

From the corner of my eye I could see Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, but more importantly, the small tables outside of it. Getting up, I made a mad dash towards them, and immediately tipped one over, using it as a shield. Peeking up over the top, I could see four more Death Eaters approaching.

"_Stupefy_!" I shouted, and immediately got down as four spells came my way. "_Confundus_!" I tried again, and repeated the same motion.

I normally was a good dueler...but only with one other opponent. With only one of me and many of them, there was no way I would win. The Death Eaters were using nonverbal spells too, something I wouldn't learn until this year.

I had to laugh quietly. Everything useful right now, like apparition and nonverbal spells, I would learn this year.

That is, if I managed to survive this, which didn't look likely.

I peeked out from the side of the overturned table. The Death Eaters were still approaching, quicker too.

"_Conjunctivitis_! _Stupefy_! _Expelliarmus_!" I yelled three spells in a row, hoping to hinder at least one Death Eater.

But no such luck.

Abruptly I felt the table, my only source of protection besides my wand, literally fly out from in front of me and crash through the window of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. I covered my head as the glass shards came my way, but I had bigger problems to worry about.

The Death Eaters surrounded me, and lifted their wands one by one.

Once I saw the beginnings of light leave the tips, I closed my eyes. I never thought it would end this way, so soon.

But before any of the spells could hit me, I heard someone shout "_Protego_!"

Every curse rebounded from the shield instead of hitting me, and I turned my head to the side to see Draco, wand pointed up at the Death Eaters.

Some of the Death Eaters made to strike him, but one held their hand up. "You...you're Malfoy's boy?"

"Yes," Draco replied immediately. The Death Eaters still didn't lower their wands, but didn't attack, which was a good sign. Lucius Malfoy wasn't the most respected Death Eater, but killing his son would probably have some consequences, I was guessing. I was brought out of my musings as Draco spoke again. "And the witch you're attacking? She's Miro's kid."

_This_ got the Death Eaters' attention. Obviously my father was a prominent figure.

"Miro?" One questioned, scanning me suspiciously. "She was at the Department of Mysteries!"

"That doesn't matter. You'll have to take that up with Miro. But for now, you need to let us go and continue on with whatever business you came here for," Draco's voice was commanding and superior.

"No!" I immediately protested. Whatever they were here for, it couldn't be good.

Draco's eyes slid over to me, and he gave me a distinct look that basically said 'shut up or I'll let them kill you'.

The Death Eaters seemed to pay no mind to my outburst as they still were focused on Draco. After a couple minutes, they seemed to give in. Not another word was said as an unspoken message passed through Draco and the Death Eaters.

Draco then quickly walked up to me and grabbed me forcefully by the forearm. "We need to leave – _now_."

His grip was so tight that it actually hurt, and he pulled me up so swiftly that my head snapped back. As he pulled me away towards the floo network we used to get here, I could see the Death Eaters walking into Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Seconds later they appeared again, and this time, with a hostage.

_Florean_!

"No!" I shouted, attempting to pull away from Draco.

But he would have none of it as his grip only got stronger.

"Draco –no!" I yelled again when I saw the Death Eaters disappear with Florean.

_We could've helped him._

My shoulders slumped with defeat as I stopped resisting Draco, letting him pull me into the fireplace. He grabbed a handful of floo powder, and I was entirely surprised that instead of saying 'Malfoy Manor, he shouted, "Hogsmeade!"

Once we arrived in Hogsmeade, Draco wasted no time in pulling me out of the fireplace and onto the street.

Hogsmeade seemed to be busy this evening, in contrast to the dark and lifeless state of Diagon Alley.

_Even more so now_, I thought bitterly.

I still had no idea what was on Draco's mind or where he was going. I briefly wondered why he hadn't taken us back to Malfoy Manor. As we passed by wizards and witches on the street, I saw with some interest that some of them were Hogwarts students. I recognized their faces, despite not being in uniform.

And from the weird looks they were giving me, I could see that they recognized me too. Or maybe it was just because I was with Malfoy. And we were supposed to be enemies.

Or maybe it was the fact that I looked like I had just been in a duel?

My shirt was tattered, with faint rips lining my chest and stomach. My pants made it out relatively unscathed, just being dirty from when I was on the ground. And besides a few minor scratches on my arms, I was fairly okay. Just a bit shaken up.

_They just took Florean. Why?_

I finally discovered Draco's destination when I found myself staring at the entrance of The Three Broomsticks. Draco opened the door and led me inside.

The interior was warm and a bit smoky, but nonetheless clean and welcoming. Draco finally stopped next to the pub counter and motioned for me to sit on one of the stools while he did the same. It didn't take long for Madam Rosmerta to come around.

"What can I get y – oh hello, Christina!" Madam Rosmerta looked up from the glass she was cleaning and gave me a smile. She turned to Draco and seemed to recognize him too, but didn't seem too fond of him.

Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I were regulars at The Three Broomsticks whenever we visited Hogsmeade. From all the times we've been here, Madam Rosmerta grew to know us by name.

"Hello Madam Rosmerta," my voice was a bit shaky, but otherwise intelligible.

"What can I get you?" she asked.

"We'll have two butterbeers," Draco spoke for me.

"That'll be four sickles," Madam Rosmerta replied.

I went to reach into my bag to pull out my share, but Draco quickly reached into his pocket and gave Madam Rosmerta the money. I went to protest but thought better of it. I still didn't know where Draco's mind was at the present.

"Coming right up," Madam Rosmerta nodded and went to work filling up the bottles with butterbeer. "You feeling alright Christina? You usually have rosy cheeks, now you're a bit pale," Madam Rosmerta observed, sliding us our drinks.

"I'm fine," I said unsteadily, but covered it with a smile. Madam Rosmerta seemed to accept this as she went off to help other customers. I slowly turned to Draco, taking a sip of my drink. He was already looking at me, his expression unreadable.

After a few minutes we still sat in silence...though it wasn't uncomfortable. I was just about to turn to Draco again when he finally spoke.

"Still think that using your surname isn't beneficial?"

I paused, contemplating his words. His surname protected him in the previous situation, and surprisingly, so did mine. "What were they doing there?" I purposely avoided his question.

"I don't know," His answer seemed honest. "I had no idea why they were there or what they wanted to accomplish."

"They kidnapped Florean," I stated simply. Draco didn't have a chance to respond before I nearly jumped up. "And we used magic! Outside of Hogwarts! Surely the Ministry knows about this?"

Draco shrugged, "I'll need to talk to father. I'm pretty sure that word has gotten back to the other Death Eaters, so father probably already knows," Draco looked a bit worried. "I'll need to explain to him what happened," Draco stayed silent for a few seconds, before continuing, "Christina, before we go back to the Manor, I need to explain something to you."

The seriousness of his tone made me look at him with concern.

He continued, "Don't think that you can use that excuse every time you're caught up with Death Eaters."

"Saying that I'm Miro's daughter?" I clarified.

"Yes. I was fairly surprised that it even worked at all."

I raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean? Surely the Death Eaters wouldn't touch me if they know who my parents are?"

Draco closed his eyes tightly and sighed through his nose. "Christina..." he began. "The Death Eaters didn't continue attacking you because they thought you were one of your sisters."

My features twisted in confusion, "What does that mean? Why does that matter?"

"Every Death Eater is required to list all family members, or those that are not to be harmed or killed unless in dire circumstances. The Miros..." he trailed off. "Your parents only wrote down two children."

I dropped the mug of butterbeer I was holding.

I didn't even flinch as it hit the ground and smashed into pieces. Immediately one of the Inn workers came around, sizing up the damage. I mumbled a quick sorry, not caring to even sound more sincere. It didn't matter, though, because the damage was cleared with magic in a second.

I got out of the stool and headed for the exit, not saying another word. I managed to get five feet from the Inn before I heard Draco calling my name. I didn't stop or even slow down. I then felt his arm grip my wrist. I instantly pulled my arm back, like he had burned it.

"Christina," Draco repeated. He had never seen me in this state before, and it looked like he didn't know what to do with me.

After he repeated my name for a third time I turned around quickly. "Are you trying to tell me that my own parents don't care if I live or die?"

Draco didn't respond, just continued to stare at me.

"I mean, I know they hate me, believe me, I know. But...to think that my life is worth nothing?" I paused, not wanting to think about this anymore. "And you knew, this whole time? How could you not tell me?"

"We're not exactly on good terms, Christina," Draco said, but his tone wasn't patronizing.

"I'm their...daughter," I whispered. "No matter what, I'm still their flesh and blood," A couple tears began to trickle down my face, but I determinedly wiped them away. I wasn't going to be weak.

"Christina...I'm sorry," Draco began, and my head shot up to look at him. _He's sympathizing with me_? "But we have to go back to the Manor now. "

_Oh, not sympathizing._

He took my silence as a yes and began to lead me towards the floo fireplace.

I couldn't care less about what was going on in the world around me, I was solely focused on the thoughts in my mind.

I was a bit surprised, but honestly, I shouldn't have been. I've known this for a while, but now I just had written proof. And now, I could smash any hope that my parents had even an ounce of love for me.

I felt my resolve begin to form again. I wasn't going to cry. I wasn't going to beg for them to love me. I wasn't going to be weak.

If there ever was a time to be strong, it was now.

And I knew three things for certain.

**One**: I never was going to live with my parents again.

**Two**: I was going to work to be the absolute greatest witch I could be.

**And three**: I would eliminate the type of evil my parents praised...or die trying.

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter, done! I'm working so hard to update daily, sometimes even more than once. So if you read, please review and let me know if you enjoy my work! And if you do nothing else, at least enjoy the story :D**


	12. A Thank You For Every Occasion

**Disclaimer: Own Harry Potter I do not.**

* * *

Draco and I didn't say one word to each other until we reached the Manor. He finally let go of my hand once we got to the stairs leading to the second floor.

"Go to your room," Draco instructed. "I need to find father, and it's best that I do it alone."

I nodded in understanding and lifted my foot to ascend the stairs when another voice carried through the room.

"I was curious as to when you two would return."

Lucius was standing a feet few away, leaning against the dining room table. His eyes looked dark.

"I need to speak with you, father," Draco said, his voice wavering slightly.

"I thought you might," Was all Lucius replied.

I was itching to go back to my room and escape this confrontation. "I'm going to go to my room..." I began to say when Lucius cut me off.

"No, you will stay as well."

I bit my lip, but I knew it wouldn't do well to argue. I nodded simply and stepped down to the floor level again, unconsciously moving closer to Draco.

"Now, Draco. Would you like to explain to me what happened?"

"Death Eaters, father. In Diagon Alley. Did you know about this?" Draco asked.

Lucius didn't respond for a few seconds, but then stepped a bit closer. "I had prior knowledge of their plans, but I did not know when they would enact them. I wouldn't have sent you there, had I known."

Draco nodded slowly. "They got into a confrontation with Christina. One of them recognized her from the Department of Mysteries."

Lucius' eyes flared at this.

_Oh yeah, he remembers me hexing him alright. I got his arse twice. _I nearly cracked a smile due to my thoughts, but fortunately maintained a straight face.

Draco continued, "The Death Eaters didn't attack me because they knew I was your son. But I wasn't sure about Christina...so I told them she was Miro's child."

"And did you tell them which _one_?" Lucius questioned coldly.

Draco's brows furrowed as he shook his head slowly, "No."

"I see," Lucius nodded. "You realize that now, not only have you jeopardized our ranks amongst the Death Eaters, _again_, but also Miro's?"

"I realize, father," Draco said quietly.

"You know fully well that _she_ is not on the list, and therefore is not obligated to be protected. It was foolish of you to use Miro's name, Draco. Very foolish."

"Does that matter?" I suddenly jumped into the conversation. "I'm still their daughter, on the list or not."

I felt Draco grab onto my forearm and squeeze it in warning. I should shut my mouth.

Lucius' glare narrowed, and he took another threatening step forward. "I assume the Draco has told you by now that your name has not graced the list? How very sad it must be...to mean nothing to your family," Lucius drawled, shaking his head in mock sympathy. "No greater than a speck of dust."

I clenched my jaw, anger and betrayal spreading through my veins. But I held my tongue.

"I was rather surprised they didn't manage to kill you at all before Draco stopped them," He threw a harsh glare to Draco. "But, as I recall..." he trailed off, and took yet _another_ intimidating step forward. "You are quite the dueler."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. I was so angry, and nervous, and tense that I didn't even know what to do with myself.

After glancing at me a final time, Lucius spoke again, "I need to speak with Draco privately now. You are dismissed."

Not needing another sign, I backed up quickly and bounded up the stairs. Before I entered my room, however, I eavesdropped enough to hear a few choice phrases.

"You already know what position our family is in and you do this?"

"I expected much more of you."

"She was not worth this."

"If her parents don't care, why should you?"

"This is very disappointing."

"Do you know how much explaining I'll have to do? How much begging?"

"You will have to explain your role to Miro and hope he is lenient."

I didn't want to hear anymore.

I stormed into my room and shut the door as hard as I could without making too much noise. Today wasn't the best.

I actually can't remember the last time I had a purely happy day. Each day seemed to blur together now, filled with the same shit, and it never stopped. I finally put my bag down, feeling my shoulder thank me immediately for the lifted weight. I had almost forgot about it.

But that just reminded me of the books. Draco had paid for them, and I still wasn't sure why.

Even more so, why did he even help me with the Death Eaters? He could have just let events take their course, like Lucius had basically suggested.

But he didn't, and it confused the heck out of me.

I pulled the wallet out of my bag and took out four galleons, two sickles, and twenty knuts, enough to pay for my books. I also walked over to my desk and grabbed a spare bit of parchment and a quill, writing a small note to Draco.

_Thank you._

It had many meanings today, I knew. Not just for paying for my books.

I walked out into the hallway and still heard Lucius scolding Draco. I wondered how long that was going to last. Continuing across the hall to his room, I slipped through the small opening in Draco's door. Fane was sitting in his cage, eyes and posture fully alert at the new guest.

"Hey Fane," I whispered, smiling slightly at the owl. "You know, I never did give you any owl treats for helping me, huh?" Quickly placing the note and money on Draco's desk, I walked up to Fane's cage. The owl treats were on the small desk next to the cage, so I spilled out a couple into my hand and set about opening the latch. "I'm not a girl to go back on her word, so here you are."

For the first time ever, I heard Fane hoot. Like he was grateful. My smiled turned brighter, and I placed down the owl treats before withdrawing my hand from the cage. "I guess we are friends. I wouldn't tell Draco, though, he might be a bit jealous."

I even managed to laugh slightly as I left the room and returned to my own.

* * *

I was so immersed in my book that I nearly didn't hear Draco coming up the stairs almost an hour later.

And, as I had been expecting, he barged into my room soon after.

"I told you, I don't want your money!" he snapped, tossing my money onto the lower half of my bed.

"Draco, I owe you the money. So take it," I replied, pointing to the few galleons, sickles, and knuts scattered across my comforter.

"I'm not going to take it, so stop with this!"

His tone seemed desperate, so I stopped my next protest and instead asked, "Is everything alright with your father?"

Draco snorted. "No, but I didn't really expect it to be after what I did."

I bit my lip, "Why _did_ you help me?"

"If I didn't I would've been blamed for your death, or at least a part of it. People saw me with you before and after," Draco explained, but some part of me knew he was lying. I didn't push the matter.

"Well, whatever your logic, thanks all the same. I would've been tortured or worse if it wasn't for you," I said, and then suddenly laughed. "It's funny, usually it's the other way around."

Draco didn't show any outward emotion, not even a smile. He was still lost in his own mind, apparently.

"What will happen to us? About using magic outside of Hogwarts?" I asked, and Draco did respond to this.

"My father will take care of it."

I raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Even for me?"

"Even for you."

I furrowed my brows in surprise. "This is news."

Draco's emotionless exterior suddenly cracked as he rolled his eyes. "It's not going to be news that the Death Eaters attacked Diagon Alley. And with the knowledge that we used our wands in self-defense, we both will not suffer consequences we haven't earned. Trying to get you into trouble would only cause suspicion on father's part, so he knows better than to try."

"That makes me feel better," I mumbled sarcastically, but shrugged nonetheless. "Did you get all you needed for term? Because I really don't feel like going back to Diagon Alley if there's a chance that _that_ will happen again."

"No, I got everything," Draco answered.

There was an awkward pause.

"Did your father tell you what the Death Eaters wanted and why they took Florean?" I asked.

"No, he didn't. And I honestly wouldn't even be able to take a guess," He then looked at me strangely. "And I wouldn't be able to tell you if I knew, either."

I shrugged, already figuring that. "I just don't get what they wanted with Florean. I mean, we're talking about a kind, generous ice cream man with a vast knowledge on medieval witch-burnings. He's no threat."

"Don't treat me like I have intimate knowledge of their plans, because I don't, not yet, anyway," he muttered the last part quietly, and I didn't hear.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. It's best that you don't ask any more questions and just lay down. It's been a long day."

_That it has._

"You're right," I conceded. "I'm sure we'll find out more from The Daily Prophet tomorrow," I fixed up my pillows and put my head down, gazing at the money at the bottom half of my bed. "Will you still not take the money?"

"No," Draco replied immediately, taking the money from my bed and placing it onto my desk. "And don't ask me again."

"Fine," I quipped. "Goodnight, Draco."

"Goodnight."

We shared a final glance before Draco turned on his heel and headed back to his room.

I was just about to close my eyes when I heard a loud smash at my window.

Sitting up, I could see a flurry of feathers before some type of figure perched on the ledge.

_An owl?_

Climbing out of bed, I got close enough to the window to confirm that the animal was, in fact, an owl.

But not just any owl...it was Errol, the Weasley's owl!

_That explains the crash._

Once I let the poor owl in, he immediately flew to my bed and lost consciousness. I rolled my eyes, this happened all the time with him, I remembered.

I quickly untied the letter from Errol's leg as a feeling on uneasiness settled in my stomach. If this was Ron, he would be replying to my letter about the nightmares. Tearing the seal apart, I hungrily read whatever he had to say.

_Christina,_

_Weird you should ask, because I sometimes have nightmares...not often, though. Describe them? Well, I'm usually in this dark room, I can't get out, and then this wizard attacks me. Says his name is Voldemort too. It's bloody weird, but I haven't thought much about it. However, I just received owls from Neville and Luna, and they said that they have been having a few nightmares as well. Didn't say what they were about, though. Harry didn't reply, so I'm hoping he didn't get into any trouble from my letter. Ginny says she's having nightmares too. But, why all the sudden interest in our dreams? Write back._

_Ron_

I closed my eyes and the uneasiness in my stomach transformed into fear. What could this possibly mean? If we're all having the nightmares, than something must not be right, especially since it's the same one.

A bit of hope darted into my heart, though, because I would be seeing the one person who I knew would be able to explain this in less than two weeks.

Dumbledore.

* * *

**A/N: The plot thickens...anyway, hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Christina's stay at Malfoy Manor is definitely running longer than I thought it would. But soon I'm going to be writing the Hogwarts chapters, very soon in fact...R&R :D**


	13. Mad World

**Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I didn't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

**DEATH EATER TERROR CONTINUES: BRIDGE COLLAPSE DEATH TOLL RISES**

The headline of the next morning's Daily Prophet almost made me heave up my breakfast. I continued reading.

_Diagon Alley was attacked by Death Eaters yesterday afternoon, as witnesses to the terror tell us. Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour was broken into and destroyed. Florean Fortescue himself was kidnapped and hasn't been heard from since._

_ Ollivander's was the only other shop that was broken into, but with little damage. Witnesses say Ollivander put up no fight with the Death Eaters as they tore him from the shop and disappeared. He hasn't been seen since, either._

_ Later that very same day, the muggle operated Brockdale Bridge was completely destroyed by Death Eaters. The exact number of deaths in unknown at the present time, but is assumed to be a dozen, maybe even more. New information will be published when available._

I slammed the paper down onto the table and turned to Draco, who was seated at my side. "Look at this!" I pointed angrily, giving the paper a disgusted look.

Draco looked indifferent for a few minutes, but when I turned away I noticed from the corner of my eye him take a couple peeks.

"This is too horrible," I shook my head repeatedly. "And they took Ollivander too! _Ollivander_! What could they possibly want with him?" There was worry and fear in my voice. "I mean, a whole bridge destroyed? Why would they even – Draco, are you even listening to me?"

"No," Draco said shortly. "I don't care."

"A dozen people lost their lives, and you don't care?" I questioned skeptically.

"Muggles."

"But people nonetheless."

"They got what they deserved."

I gasped, my eyes widening. "Draco...you can't possibly believe that."

His face twisted into a snarl, but his eyes showed indecision. "Stop pestering me about this. Just _stop_. You have bigger things to worry about, anyway. Your parents are coming home today, aren't they?"

I paused. "Yes, they are."

I actually had forgotten. Life was just getting better and better, wasn't it?

The only hope I had was the fact that once I left for Hogwarts this year, I would _never_ go back to my parents again.

"Are you worried?" Draco asked.

I shrugged, "Not really." And honestly, I wasn't. I felt _betrayed_ by them. _Angered_ by them. But somehow, not _scared_ of them.

My answer seemed to surprise Draco. "You should be, after what happened in Diagon Alley."

"The same goes for you, then."

Draco's eyes widened slightly before settling into a glare. "I'm not worried about _anything_," he spat, and then without another word, exited the dining room.

_Talk about mood swings._

But I really couldn't complain, because I was going through a few myself.

I felt like I had the world on my shoulders, and with a single push, I'd fall over.

What worried me the most, however, were the nightmares that I, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Neville, Ginny and possibly Harry were sharing. Ron's letter had only confirmed my suspicions, my gut feeling. I had sent him back a letter with Errol the previous night.

_Dear Ron,_

_This doesn't sound good, Ron. The nightmare you described? Hermione and I are having the same exact one. And I can bet five galleons that Ginny, Luna, Neville, and Harry are having them as well. Why do you think this is happening? Hermione suggested we talk to Trelawney when we get back to Hogwarts. I think we should see Dumbledore too. Did you hear about the Death Eater attack in Diagon Alley? Write back soon._

_Love, Christina_

* * *

I spent the time up until my parents' arrival finishing my schoolwork. Might as well finish that up because I wouldn't be able to accomplish much else.

"Draco, Christina, you'll need to be here for the Miro's arrival!" I heard Narcissa's voice call upstairs. I nearly slammed my head against the desk. This was not going to be fun.

Dragging my feet against the carpet, I threw open my door and was surprised to meet Draco out in the hall.

"Ready?" he asked, his expression giving nothing away.

"As I'll ever be, I guess," I shrugged.

We descended the stairs and met Narcissa and Lucius, who were waiting by the fireplace. I noticed Lucius looking at me coldly with a twisted smirk on his long pale face.

Yeah, this was not going to be fun at all.

Draco and I lined up with his parents, and we all watched the fireplace silently.

About five minutes later, we heard the familiar brushing sounds echo in the fireplace, and my parents then appeared in front of us gracefully.

"Ivan! Linessa!" Narcissa greeted merrily, "Welcome back!"

My parents nimbly exited the fireplace and greeted the Malfoys with firm handshakes.

"How was your vacation?" Narcissa asked.

"Oh, wonderful! I'll tell you all about it," my mother replied, smiling. That smile disappeared, however, when her eyes found me. "Christina," she nodded, looking me up and down. "Did you cause any trouble?"

"No," I answered, my voice bland and void of any emotion.

My mother eyed me suspiciously before looking over to the Malfoys, her expression clearly showing that she was seeking affirmation of my answer.

"She was fine," Narcissa spoke, her tone indifferent. "No problems."

But this was where Lucius cut in.

"Actually," he began, eyeing Draco and I carefully. "There was an incident that you will soon hear about, Ivan. But I'd like to be the first to tell you."

Ivan looked slightly curiously. "Go on, Lucius."

"I will let Draco tell you, Miro. It happened to be his doing."

Draco looked paler than usual as all eyes turned to him. "Mr. Miro," he started, "Your daughter and I went to Diagon Alley yesterday."

My father's eyes widened minutely, and I knew that he had been aware of the Death Eaters plans.

Draco continued, "When the Death Eaters attacked, some of them focused on Christina. One of them thought they remembered her from the Department of Mysteries. I didn't know what their intent was, but before they were able to attack her again, I stopped them. I told them that she was your daughter. They didn't attack further."

My parents were staring at Draco with mixed emotions, and I really couldn't decipher them.

"Did you specify to the Death Eaters _which_ daughter they were dealing with?" my father asked icily.

Draco shook his head no.

My father clenched his jaw. "I'm assuming that she knows?"

"Knows what? That you condemned me to death in your eyes?" I asked harshly. "Oh yes, I know."

"You watch how you talk," my father reprimanded. I snorted. Here they were, basically saying I wasn't worth living, and they still scolded me on my tone. "It shouldn't come as a surprise," my father continued. "You've left us with no choice."

"There is _always_ a choice," I snapped. "You're just weak."

Draco grabbed onto my arm. "Christina, you need to _stop_," he warned quietly, his tone urgent.

I pulled my arm out of his grasp. "No! They are going to listen to me," I said stubbornly, locking eye contact with my father. "You're pathetic. Both of you. I highly doubt either of you are prepared to die for your cause, but you want me to, huh? But you will never win. You wanna know why?" I asked sarcastically. "You fight for yourselves rather than for each other. Every pathetic, unreliable, scared man for himself. And you will fail. I will make sure of it. You'll have to live the rest of your life knowing that your own daughter bested you."

My father abruptly grabbed me by the front of my sweater, pulling me closer to him roughly. "_You are no daughter of mine_."

I refused to back down. "Deny it all you want, but I am your flesh and blood! You can never change that, and neither can I. But the difference between you and I is that you see me as your weakness, and I see you as my strength. You both have shown me true evil, and now I know I have the power to destroy it," I closed my eyes, feeling dark emotions overcome me. "And when you're rotting in Azkaban I hope you remember that your worst treatments ultimately became my greatest strengths."

My father pushed me away so forcefully that I fell onto my backside. No one made a move to help me up, but I didn't expect them to. My father's eyes left mine and locked with Draco's. I watched the interaction with suspicion.

"Linessa, take _her_ upstairs, please," my father instructed. "Lucius, would you bring Draco and come with me?"

Lucius seemed to understand his request, but his eyes seemed momentarily hesitant, for some reason.

"Where are you taking Draco?" I asked sharply, still on the floor. I didn't want Draco to suffer for my behavior; especially since him saving _me_ was what got us into this mess in the first place.

"You will not _speak_," my father practically hissed, glaring at me like he could burn me into the ground. "Lucius," my father gave him an expectant look, and Lucius suddenly began ushering Draco towards the fireplace.

"Draco, Draco don't-" I tried to speak to him, but he didn't even acknowledge me. He simply followed his father and mine to the fireplace. He still didn't even look at me as my father used the floo powder and shouted the name of a place I didn't recognize.

"Where are they going?" I asked my mother harshly, who had been quiet during this whole encounter. "Where is he taking them?"

"I can barely stand to look at you right now," she spat, shaking her head in disgust. "Your behavior is nothing short of despicable. Don't expect to go to Hogsmeade this year or receive any kind of allowance."

I gaped up at her, completely thrown off guard. "But that's not fair!" I shouted, outraged.

"You can be very well sure it's fair. And I will not tolerate this kind of insolence at home."

"Well, you won't have to worry about that," I snapped, and before my mom could reply, I brushed past the shocked Narcissa and went up to my room.

I slammed the door with all the force I could muster and reached under my bed to retrieve my Hogwarts trunk. I pushed it open and began to pack my school books away; I was finished by now with my work. I then began counting all the money I had in my wallet, my entire life savings.

It came out to thirty-seven galleons, three sickles, and nineteen knuts.

Barely anything at all.

My arms were shaking as I closed my case and made sure to hide it someplace safe. I climbed into my bed and buried myself in the blankets. I knew I had to be strong.

But even with that notion, I felt some tears escape my eyes. I shuddered as I realized how _good_ it felt to let go.

The tears kept coming, and all I could do was let them.

* * *

I opened my eyes groggily and discovered that I had inadvertently fallen asleep in my teary state. Checking the large wooden grandfather clock in the west end of my room, I saw that it was nearly 2am. I pushed myself out of bed and opened my door. Draco's bedroom door came into my line of vision.

_I wonder if he's back?_

His door was closed, so I went to go find out for myself.

Forgetting to knock, I softly pushed open the door and stepped inside. The small light on his desk was on, and I could see him hunched over in his desk chair. He didn't turn around, so I didn't think he heard me.

"Draco?" I whispered, and hopped back when Draco immediately jumped up and turned fiercely.

"What are you doing in here?" he questioned in a voice I've never heard him use before.

"I wanted to see if you were alright," I replied quietly.

Draco looked so pale it was almost ghostly. His eyes were rimmed with red, and I thought in disbelief that maybe he had been crying. His posture wasn't the normal tall and haughty position I was used to. He was slumped over, almost dejectedly.

All in all, he didn't look good.

"What happened to you?" I asked, slowly inching towards him.

"Go back to your room and go to sleep," he responded shortly, looking away from my analyzing eye.

"But...Draco?"

"You are such a foolish little girl!" Draco suddenly spat. "You have no control over your behavior, no matter what consequences it may bring. You preach all your morals and ideals like you're some kind of saint, but you know what Christina? You are no better than any of the people you denounce. You're like the plague! Everything you touch you destroy. Every life you come into contact with you ruin. I wish I could say you're nothing, but that's not true. You're _something_. You're a blood traitor, and you're a disappointment, and you're a disgrace. Now get out."

My legs were like jelly and I stared at Draco with horrified shock. "Draco, you don't mean that."

"I said _get out_."

My body sprung into life and I immediately backed out of his room and walked like a zombie back to my own. Once I crawled back into my bed I could feel the pillow was still wet with tears. I could not cry again, I just couldn't.

I was alone, poor, and soon to be homeless.

But in a week's time I would be back at Hogwarts with my best friends and magic.

And now, that was the only thing that held back the tears.

* * *

**A/N: That was emotional, wow. Sometimes it's really hard for me to write Christina and her parent's relationship because it just makes me horribly sad that parents could treat a daughter like that. But she can only grow stronger. I think the Hogwarts chapters are coming within the next few chapters. So excited! Enjoy! :D**


	14. Gone, Baby, Gone

**Disclaimer: You guys remember the actor that played Tom Riddle in CoS? He's really attractive. Oh and I don't own Harry Potter. Also, some lines in this chapter are taken out of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. You'll recognize them.**

* * *

I'm living with five people, but I've never felt more alone in my life.

For the past week, I've only been going through the motions.

Wake up, have breakfast, get ignored, have lunch, get ignored, have dinner, get ignored, read a book, and go to sleep. Repeat, repeat, _repeat_.

I expected it from my parents and the Malfoys, but honestly, not from Draco.

For the past couple of weeks, we had been acting very..._normal_. Barely any fighting, making casual conversation, and even cracking an occasional smile. I thought that we would be able to put aside our differences and actually attempt to be friendly.

But last night, Draco took all of those ideas and _murdered_ them.

It made me feel so foolish to know that I had actually grown to appreciate Draco's company. I truly believed that we were on the road to becoming friends, or at least civil acquaintances, despite the circumstances. How wrong I was.

And that just made me angry, rather than hurt.

The way Draco could go from a caring person to a cruel monster gave me whiplash.

I refused to be fooled by him again.

* * *

A faint _pop_ echoed through a narrow alley, bringing with it a slim hooded figure. The person only momentarily steadied themselves before taking off down the alley, the black cloak flying out like a cape. Another _pop_ sounded, followed by a frustrated shout.

"Cissy – wait!"

Bellatrix LeStrange caught her sister by the arm and tugged sharply. Narcissa spun to face her, the determined glint in her eye only growing stronger.

"Go back, Bella," Narcissa snapped, wrenching her arm away in a flash. "Leave me alone!"

"Listen to me!" Bellatrix hissed, trying to grab for his sister's arm again. "Just think about what you're doing!"

"I've thought about it and already made my decision," Narcissa said simply but sternly and began to weave her way through the dark and foggy alleyways.

Bellatrix clenched her jaw but followed her sister nonetheless until they stopped in front of a rundown brick house with dark shutters.

"_This_?" Bellatrix questioned. "This is where he lives?"

Narcissa was about to knock on the door when Bellatrix pulled her back again.

"Narcissa – please, listen to me," Bellatrix was frantic. "You can't trust him, you know you can't..."

"The Dark Lord trusts him, does he not?" Narcissa asked harshly. "And that's good enough for me."

"The Dark Lord...is...uh...perhaps...mistaken," It looked like it pained Bellatrix to slip the words out of her mouth. "This is a _betrayal_ of the Dark Lord's..."

"Let me go or I'll curse you," Narcissa warned in a deep tone, her hand itching towards her wand pocket.

Bellatrix gave a hearty screech that disturbed the nearby birds on the fence. "You'll curse _me_? Your own sister? You wouldn't do that."

"There's nothing I wouldn't do anymore," Narcissa protested desperately, and before Bellatrix could stop her, knocked on the front door.

A man opened the door a few seconds later, and seemed surprised to see the frantic woman. "Narcissa," he said, "What is the matter?" He opened the door farther and revealed her sister. "And Bellatrix."

"Severus," Narcissa brought her hands in front of her in an almost pleading gesture. "I must speak with you."

Snape nodded, "Of course, come in." He opened the door completely and stepped aside as Narcissa and Bellatrix entered his home. Once they reached the main room Snape offered them the couch.

Narcissa removed her cloak and took a seat nervously, while Bellatrix remained standing and only lowered her hood cautiously.

"What can I do for you?" Snape finally asked.

"I think you are the only one who can help me," Narcissa began, putting her trembling hands into her lap. "I know I probably shouldn't be here, as I have been specifically instructed not to mention this to anyone-"

"Then you need to hold your tongue, Cissy!" Bellatrix's shrill voice filled the room. "Especially in present company."

"Present company?" Snape repeated, subtly amused. "How do you mean?"

"You know I don't trust you, Snape," Bellatrix spat, crossing her arms in annoyance. "For a hundred reasons – or more!"

"I do not blame you, Bellatrix. I have played my part well over the years," Snape replied, waving his arm indifferently. "Dumbledore trusts me implicitly, and I have not wavered in my duties to the Dark Lord."

Bellatrix scoffed, but didn't say anything more.

Snape turned back to Narcissa, "Now...what would you need me for?"

Narcissa began, "Yes...well, the Dark Lord has forbidden me to speak of it but-"

"If the Dark Lord wants you to keep silent than that's what you must do," Snape interrupted.

Narcissa gasped, widening her eyes in despair.

"See!" Bellatrix shouted smugly, "Even _Snape_ says to keep quiet."

"But I know of what you're asking me," Snape said, suddenly. "The Dark Lord has told me of the plan."

A relieved smile graced Narcissa's lips while Bellatrix gasped indignantly.

"_You_? The Dark Lord told _you_?" she asked.

"He has," Snape confirmed before turning to Narcissa. "I do not know what you would require my help for. If you're asking me to persuade the Dark Lord to change his mind, then you will go home unfulfilled. I will not be able to accomplish that."

"Severus," Narcissa whispered breathlessly. "My son...he's only a boy."

"I can't change the Dark Lord's mind."

"Draco should be proud!" Bellatrix added. "This is a great honor you know. And Draco seems to be handling the duty well."

"This is not right," Narcissa shook her head earnestly. "He's only sixteen, he has no idea what this means for him! This is Miro's doing...he...he took Draco to see him...and then..." Narcissa trailed off, trying to make sense of it all.

"Miro spoke to the Dark Lord, yes," Snape admitted. "But that is not only why Draco was chosen."

Narcissa paused, "Is this punishment for my husband's failure at the Department of Mysteries? It's not a secret that Lucius is frowned upon during this time."

"If Draco succeeds, he will be honored above all the others," Snape said, looking away. "Your family will be redeemed."

"But he won't succeed!" Narcissa shrieked. "This is an impossible mission, you must know this?"

"I still do not know what you wish for me to do?"

"You're Draco's favorite professor...you're Lucius' friend...you're the Dark Lord's trusted advisor...if you would just speak to him...persuade him..." Narcissa rambled on, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"I cannot pretend that the Dark Lord isn't angry with Lucius. He was supposed retrieve the prophecy, which he did not, and escaped empty-handed. He's very angry," Snape admitted.

"Then it is punishment! The Dark Lord doesn't want Draco to succeed; he wants him to be killed in the process!" Narcissa let out a convulsive sob and seemed to lose all of her control. She slid down onto her knees as her body shook with sobs, and it was a pitiful sight.

Snape grabbed a hold of her robes and lifted her up slowly before placing her back on the couch. He seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"It might be possible...for me to help Draco," he spoke slowly and softly.

Narcissa immediately quieted and looked up at Snape with wide eyes. "Severus?"

"I can _try_ to look after him...see he comes to no harm."

Narcissa looked hopeful for the first time that day. "Will you swear to it? Make the Unbreakable Vow?"

"The Unbreakable Vow?" Snape repeated, his expression blank.

Bellatrix cackled loudly. "You see, Cissy? He'll _try_ the best he can...but when it comes down to it, he'll just slither away...like a _coward_."

Snape's expression didn't change, but his eyes did darken. "I will make the vow," he stated simply and turned a dark eye to Bellatrix. "You will be the Bonder?"

Bellatrix's face was a mixture of shock and astonishment, and she faltered slightly in reply.

Snape held out his hand to Narcissa, which she accepted tightly. After Bellatrix found her wits, she held out her wand over the linked arms.

"Will you, Severus, watch over Draco as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes?" she asked.

"I will," Snape murmured.

"And will you, to the best of your ability, keep him from harm?"

"I will."

"And if Draco should fail, will you carry out the deed yourself?"

Snape paused for a few moments. The room was deathly silent.

"I will," he finally said, and the vow was made.

* * *

I was in the kitchen eating some grapes when Draco and Lucius appeared in the floo fireplace. They had been gone the whole day, and it was now after midnight.

Tomorrow was September 1st, meaning we had to catch the Hogwarts express in the morning.

Lucius immediately vacated the area, and Draco began to walk towards me. I almost thought he was going to stop and talk to me, but I felt like a fool again when he merely opened up the refrigerator and grabbed some pumpkin juice.

"Where have you been all day?" I asked harshly as he poured himself a glass.

He glanced at me sideways, "None of your business," he snapped, slamming the refrigerator door closed when he put back the juice.

"Whatever, git," I mumbled, and as he cleared the kitchen I threw a grape him.

Childish, I know, but it still made me laugh.

I heard him mutter something about 'immature antics' as he ascended the stairs.

I actually was curious about where he had been all day, but I tried not to think about it. I had other things to focus on, like making sure I was all set for tomorrow.

Back in my room, I double checked my Hogwarts trunk before hopping into bed. My nerves and excitement made it difficult, but I eventually fell asleep.

* * *

I woke up early the next morning and completed my daily hygiene regimen. I contemplated maybe just putting on my uniform so I wouldn't have to change later, but thought against it. Usually on first years did that.

I looked around my room for the last time. Last time in Malfoy Manor. Like time in this room. Probably last time in _a_ room for a while. During Hogwarts, I would have to look for some type of job. When this year ended, I would have nowhere to live, and I needed money to be able to rent an apartment or something.

But I tried not to think about that now, I had time to prepare.

Dragging my case down the stairs quickly, I could barely contain my anticipation to leave. Nobody else was downstairs yet, so I had a quick breakfast and then waited on the couch.

I had nearly fallen back to sleep when I heard footsteps on the stairs, and I saw Draco bringing down his case. He didn't say one word to me as he place his case next to mine and called for a house elf to bring him breakfast.

There was another difference between us; he would usually ask the elf house to do everything, cook, clean, etc, while I would just do it myself.

Sitting still was an issue as I watched Draco leisurely eat some waffles. He wasn't nearly eating fast enough.

"Come on and hurry up!" I finally shouted, exasperated.

For the first time in a week, Draco looked subtly amused.

He didn't answer, but did start to eat even slower.

I sighed explosively and tried to reach for his plate. I was _really_ getting annoyed.

Draco pulled his plate away with quick reflexes and gave me an annoyed look. "You're a child," he stated simply, not giving me any attention after that.

And then finally he was done, and just in time too because the Malfoys and my parents came down the steps.

"Are you ready to go?" Lucius asked Draco, ignoring me altogether.

Again, I was used to this.

"Yes, father," Draco replied.

Lucius simply nodded.

As Draco hugged his mother and said farewell to his father, I dragged my bag to the fireplace and stood there impatiently. No one sought me out to say goodbye, but it didn't matter, because neither did I.

Draco finally joined me in the fireplace, but before we left, my father had a couple words of farewell.

"There will be many changes for you when you return home. I hope you are prepared to suffer from your actions," His voice was low and authoritative.

I wanted to hold my tongue, but I couldn't help but add a few parting words.

"Oh but father, I am _never_ coming home."

And I threw down the floo powder.

* * *

**A/N: Gotta get back to Hogwarts! Gotta get back to school! Officially beginning the Hogwarts chapter, yay! And Christina starts her first days of independence. As many know, it isn't easy for first timers. We'll see what happens and how Draco plays a role (; Oh, and like I said, most of the Snape/Narcissa/Bellatrix scene comes from Half Blood Prince, though I did try to put it in my own words. Anyway, R&R!**


	15. King's Cross

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. REPEAT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER.**

* * *

Though everything in the wizarding world seemed to be changing, one thing had remained the same.

King's Cross Station.

Looking through the crowd, I could easily spot familiar faces making their merry way towards Platform 9 ¾. After glancing at the large overhead clock, I knew that we should do the same.

Without even glancing at Draco, and I highly doubt he looked at me, we each set off for the platform.

Today happened to be a busy morning, apparently, because our journey took a bit longer due to the capacity of people moving through the station. I could distinctly hear Draco's annoyed voice issuing out insults to those that got in his way or didn't move fast enough.

At one point it seemed like a lost child stepped into our path, but Draco didn't care. He sidestepped the crying baby girl so fast she even tripped a little.

I clenched my jaw and helped the girl stand up quickly, and at that moment her frantic mother joined us, thanking me profusely for helping her little girl.

I looked back to see where Draco was, and saw with expectancy that he didn't even wait up for me, and was now more than twenty feet away. Clutching my baggage tighter, I took off after him.

"You nearly ran over that little girl!" I accused once I reached him, slightly out of breath.

Draco gave me a dirty look, "What was I supposed to do with _it_?"

I almost froze in my place, but then remembered where I was. If I paused, I would've gotten trampled.

"_It_? She's a child you great big git!" I seethed. "You should know, seeing as you practically are one yourself."

"Actually that's your job," Draco replied noncommittally, seeming to have left the conversation long ago.

A few comments later, without him replying, I begrudgingly accepted that he was not going to argue with me. Or even talk to me.

Not like it mattered. I didn't care.

This is the way it should be.

Definitely.

We both stopped in front of Platform 9 ¾. "So which one of us is-" I stopped my sentence as Draco whipped past me and disappeared through the wall. "-is gonna go first," I completed, shaking my head.

With my bag trailing behind me, I took off in a run and immediately ended up on the other side.

Now _this_ was a sight I had missed.

The Hogwarts Express seemed to shine. It was sedentary at the moment, parked so that all the students could board. The platform was filled with students and parents, saying their final farewells until break or end of term. There seemed to be more parents than ever this year, and I suspected it was to make sure that their children were indeed safe, with everything going on at the current time.

Draco had vanished in with the throng of students, but I didn't even bother looking for him. I knew the three people I wanted to find.

Before I could move five feet, however, I was grabbed from behind.

At first I thought it was Draco trying to put me in a chokehold, but then I heard a very familiar _and female_ voice.

"Christina! I've been searching all over for you!"

"Herms!" I shouted back, pulling her into a tight hug.

After I didn't let go a couple seconds later, Hermione began to shuffle her feet.

"Christina?" she questioned.

"Ooh, sorry," I mumbled, embarrassed. "It's just been so long since someone was actually seeking me out. I've just been feeling very alone for the past few weeks," I explained sheepishly.

Hermione placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, "Oh Christina. I am so sorry. You'll have to tell us all about Malfoy Manor on the train. Now that I've found you, let's locate Harry and Ron!"

I agreed, and we set off closer to the Hogwarts Express.

And just like magic, we noticed a group of redheads standing by one of the entrances. There weren't many families of redheads here at Hogwarts, so Hermione and I figured they were the ones we were looking for. As we got closer, we concluded that we were right.

"Ron!" I called, and Ron immediately turned his head to the side to find the source of the noise. His face grew into a wide smile when he recognized Hermione and I.

"Christina! Hermione! Glad you finally decided to join us," Ron smiled, patting me on the arm in a brotherly way.

"Yeah, we were just about to come looking for you," Harry input, stepping out from behind him.

Harry!" I nearly jumped into his arms. "I haven't talked to you all summer! How are you? Are you alright?" I began asking question after question, but Harry held up an arm to stop me.

"Geez, Christina. You're a bit enthusiastic today...have you been spending too much time with Hermione?" he asked, curiously.

"None at all, actually," I laughed, just happy to see him. I was so caught up with Harry and Ron that I nearly missed Ginny and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, standing next to them.

"Christina! It's so wonderful to see you!" Mrs. Weasley gushed, pulling me into an embrace after I hugged Ginny.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley," I greeted happily. "How are you both?"

"Wonderful, wonderful," Mr. Weasley replied, but then his features hardened into a serious expression. "How were _you_ this summer?"

I knew he was asking me about my parents without really _asking_. It was no secret amongst my friends and basically the wizarding world what kind of people my parents were.

Many people were wary of me at first when I started Hogwarts, especially students other than Slytherin purebloods. But they soon realized I was nothing like my family. That was the curse of my surname.

"It could've been better," I replied honestly. "But I guess it could've been worse too."

Mr. Weasley nodded stiffly, and Mrs. Weasley seemed to lose the twinkle in her eye she usually had. "You know; if you ever need anything, do not hesitate to ask."

I momentarily thought that maybe I could ask to stay at the Burrow after term, at least until I got back onto my feet and stabilized financially.

But I hesitated because I _knew_ they would let me.

That was the type of people the Weasleys were; kind, generous, welcoming, nonjudgmental. They would give until they couldn't give anymore or didn't have enough to give.

And with their delicate financial situation varying day by day, I did not want to burden them with another sorry poor mouth to feed. I wouldn't be able to give them compensation if I didn't have a steady income. I would be taking advantage of them, in my eyes, and I refused to let that happen.

So my situation went unresolved, for now.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," I eventually replied, giving her a small smile.

The Hogwarts Express gave a resounding noise, signaling that it was making its final boarding call.

"Okay children, please be careful this year. Have fun...Ron watch your sister!" Mrs. Weasley started to wave frantically as we boarded the train.

With a final look of farewell, we all went deeper into the train. Ginny separated from us to go meet Dean, and Hermione, Harry, Ron, and I continued to look for an open compartment.

"I found one!" Hermione alerted, pointing towards the end of the train. We all raced there, and luckily were the first people to claim it. "It's so exciting to be going back," she said as she put her luggage away. "This year is going to be different, though."

Everyone gave a silent nod. It _was_ going to be different.

"So Christina, I think the question we're all curious about...how was Malfoy Manor?" Ron asked once we all were settled in.

"Yeah, when Ron told me you stayed there during summer I was really surprised. And I thought _I_ had it bad," Harry shook his head. "So what happened?"

I jumped into the story of my summer, telling them all about the Malfoys, my parents, Diagon Alley, and Draco. But I did leave out a few key points.

I didn't tell them about being sort of friendly with Draco. Sometimes, even I wanted to forget that. And since we were on bad terms again, the point would be moot.

I also didn't tell them about the fact that I was completely on my own now. I was never going home again. Financially independent. I really didn't want them to judge or pity me, though I knew they wouldn't. This was just something I was going to have to deal with.

After my story ended, I was staring back at three shocked faces.

"Christina, I can't believe you went through that!" Hermione gasped. "Your parents really didn't put you on the list?"

"No, just my sisters," I said sullenly, but shrugged still. "It was a sudden shock, but only a confirmation of what I already knew. There's nothing I can do about it."

"And you were there when the Death Eaters attacked Diagon Alley? Were you hurt?" Ron asked curiously.

"I was dueling with a couple of them...but they outnumbered me. But no, I wasn't seriously hurt. I got out of there," I excluded the part of Draco saving me; that would lead to a whole bunch of questions I didn't have the answers to.

"Why would they take Florean?" Harry wondered aloud. "What does he have to do with anything?"

"Ollivander too," Hermione added. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Malfoy didn't seem to know anything, either," I input. "Do you think we'll ever find out?"

"Maybe Dumbledore will have answers," Harry replied. "But speaking of Malfoy..." he trailed off and looked out of the cabin door before sliding it shut. "I have something to tell you lot."

We all looked to Harry curiously.

"Christina, you said that Malfoy went someplace with your father and his father a week or so ago?" he asked.

"Yeah, he did. And when he can back he seemed...different. Like I said," I answered.

"Well, I was shopping in Diagon Alley yesterday...and I saw him there too."

A light bulb went off in my head. "He was out of the house all day yesterday with his father...he must've went there. What happened?" I asked.

"Well, once I saw him at Diagon Alley, I got suspicious. I mean, he's a suspicious bloke. Luckily I had brought my Invisibility Cloak, so I was able to follow him undetected," Harry began. "He went into Borgin and Burkes and started talking to the owner about...fixing something. And there was more than one thing that needed fixing...like a pair of something. I didn't really hear too well after that," Harry shrugged, which was a contrast to his serious tone.

"What do you think that means?" Ron asked, scratching his forehead.

"Dunno, but there's something else too..." Harry's face seemed to grow even more serious. "When Madame Malkin was fitting him for new robes, he nearly had a fit when she tried to touch his left arm."

I immediately knew what was coming before Harry even continued.

"I think he's been branded with the Dark Mark. I think he's become a Death Eater."

The cabin was deathly quiet after that, with each person soaking in the information.

"No..." I whispered. "That can't be possible."

"Well why not?" Ron scrunched up his nose. "He comes from a family of Death Eaters and pureblood fanatics. It was only a matter of time before he became one himself."

"But there's a difference between believing in certain ideals strongly and becoming one of _his_ minions. Not every pureblood fanatic is a Death Eater, Ronald," Hermione chastised, trying to bring forth a clear and logical scenario.

"He should know better than that," I said, almost to myself. "He knows what it's like."

"We all know Malfoy's a git, Harry, but you can't just go around accusing people of being Death Eaters!" Hermione whispered. "You'll get into trouble that way."

"But I know he is, I just know it," Harry remained stubborn.

I was being pulled both ways however. It all added up, when you looked at it that way.

But I also thought that Draco knew better than this. I would see it in his eyes whenever Voldemort was mentioned...it was something more than fear. I thought he understood to stay out of Voldemort's radar. Maybe, I seriously misjudged him. I mean, it's happened before.

When my thoughts drifted to Voldemort, I suddenly remembered the nightmare situation.

"Harry," I blurted out. "Did you get the letter Ron sent to you over the summer?"

Harry shook his head slowly, "I didn't get any letters...the Dursleys confiscated them all."

I sat up straighter. "Harry, for the past couple months, have you had any...nightmares?"

Harry seemed surprised by my question. "I've always gotten nightmares, my whole life, but...yes. I've gotten some strange ones over the summer."

I looked to Hermione and Ron nervously. "Let me guess," I began, "You wake up in a cold gray room, there's no escape, and then you get attacked by man who calls himself 'Lord Voldemort'?"

Harry looked at me in complete shock, "Yes...that's exactly right. How did you know?"

I put my head in my hands, slowly rubbing my forehead. "We've all been having the same nightmare, Harry. Neville, Luna, and Ginny as well," I explained.

He looked from me to Hermione to Ron, "All of us? Everyone who was at the Department of Mysteries?" he asked.

"That seems to be the only connection we can find," I murmured. "Before you ask, I have _no_ idea why this is happening. We'll need to ask Dumbledore for help, or possibly Trelawney."

"I usual get nightmares about him, but not this one specifically. And you feel real pain, right?" Harry questioned.

We all nodded.

"This is strange," I think Ron spoke for all of us.

"We'll need to discuss with Ginny, Luna, and Neville," Hermione suggested.

"We haven't even gotten to Hogwarts yet and there's trouble," Harry sighed deeply. "I think this is a great sign for how the rest of the year will go."

* * *

**A/N: Hogwarts Express chapter, yay! Almost at Hogwarts! I WANNA GIVE A HUGE THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO REVIEWED! Please keep reviewing, it makes me so very happy :D Hopefully the next update will be up soon. R&R!**


	16. Slughorn

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Also, some lines and phrases may be taken directly from The Half Blood Prince in this chapter.**

* * *

About an hour into the journey we heard a faint tapping noise on our compartment door. I half expected it to be an owl, but upon inspection, it was a first year who seemed to be extremely nervous.

"H-hello," the first year began, his voice shaking. "I am here to give this to Harry P-Potter." He held out a crisp white envelope, and Harry took it gingerly.

"Thank you," he nodded at the first year.

"What is it, mate?" Ron asked.

"Dunno, I gotta open it first," Harry said, tearing open the envelope carefully and opening the parchment.

_Harry,_

_I would be delighted if you would join me for a bite to eat in Compartment C._

_Sincerely, Professor H. E. F. Slughorn_

"Who's professor Slughorn?" I asked, not recognizing the name.

"New professor this year," Harry said distractedly, standing up.

"Professor Slughorn also wants...Christina Miro to attend."

I looked up curiously, "Oh really?" I asked, glancing at Harry. He shrugged, seemingly clueless as well.

"Alright then," I sighed and stood up. "See you guys later," Harry and I waved to Ron and Hermione, but before I left, something caught my eye. It was a piece of parchment lying next to Ron. "Hey, what's that?"

Ron looked to where I was pointing and lifted the paper. "This? You mean, you didn't get one?"

I looked closer at the title and saw that the paper was issued by The Ministry of Magic.

**Protecting Your Home and Family Against Dark Forces**

I snorted. "No wonder why I didn't get it, the Malfoys probably threw it out the minute it touched their property." I continued to read on, however.

_The Wizarding community is currently under threat from an organization calling itself the Death Eaters. Observing the following security guidelines will help protect you, your family, and your home from attack._

"Basically it's a guideline to follow in order to not be attacked?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "I'm sorry, but there are _no_ clear set of rules to avoid becoming Death Eater prey. If they want something, they'll get it. It pains me to say, but they are very powerful and _very thorough._"

"We'll discuss it after, Christina. Let's just get to Slughorn before he sends another frantic first year over," Harry said, and we both left moments later.

"Christina's right, you know. We've seen it firsthand, haven't we?" Hermione questioned.

Ron nodded regretfully. "But it seems like they're finally taking the threat of Voldemort and his minions seriously."

"After how many people died? This should've been issued directly after the ending of The Tri Wizard Tournament," she grit her teeth. "Right when Harry said he was back."

"Well," Ron said, with a touch of bitterness, "Apparently to the Ministry 'The Boy Who Lived' is also 'The Boy Who Lies'."

* * *

"So, you seemed to be pre-aware of Slughorn. You know him?" I asked as Harry and I made our way towards Compartment C.

"Dumbledore took me to meet him during the summer. He's a...character," Harry said, looking slightly uncomfortable. "He likes to be surrounded with the powerful, influential, and wealthy."

I nodded in understanding, "And he obviously wants to have close ties to 'The Boy Who Lived'."

"_Obviously_," Harry repeated blandly.

"What does he want with me for, then?" I asked curiously.

"Christina, do you forget that your last name is Miro?" Harry rolled his eyes, cracking a small smile. "Because I sometimes think you do, possibly intentionally. To those who don't know you, your last name speaks for itself. Wealthy, powerful, and influential."

"But I'm none of those things," I muttered petulantly.

"I can argue for two out of the three," Harry began, and then smirked, "I think you can guess which."

Instead of laughing, I cringed a bit. Harry didn't know that was a sore spot for me right now. He seemed to notice my change in demeanor.

"Christina, what is it?" he asked, concerned.

I tried to force a laugh, but it sounded completely fake and absolutely pathetic. "Nothing, sorry, I was just thinking about something," I lied, but my excuse fell flat, I could tell by Harry's face.

"We'll talk later," he said simply, and then tried once more to lift my spirits. "I just can't wait to see the look on Slughorn's face when you tell him about yourself."

This time, I actually laughed.

* * *

When we both got to the designated compartment, we noticed that we weren't the only ones there. When Slughorn turned and saw us, he jumped up with enthusiasm that parried his aging look. It was apparent that the energy was not directed towards me, but to the invitee next to me.

"Harry, m'boy!" Slughorn greeted and pat Harry on the back. His eyes slid over to me. "And you must be Miss. Miro?" he asked.

I nodded, being polite, "It's nice to meet you, Professor Slughorn."

"Likewise, my dear. Likewise. Now please, please come in!"

Harry and I were ushered in and took seats in any empty space.

"Do you know everyone?" Slughorn asked us.

I scanned the area. There was Blaise Zabini, a Slytherin in my year that I definitely didn't get along with. Then there was Ginny, and we shared a small smile. Seated next to her were two seventh years I didn't recognize, though they had Slytherin ties on. And then I saw two boys I recognized, Marcus Belby and Cormac McLaggen.

"Now," Slughorn began again, "We've all been introduced already; but I would like to hear a bit from you, Christina, since we already know the wonderful Mr. Potter."

I grimaced, but decided to humor him, "Well I'm a sixth year Gryffindor," (The Slytherins in the compartment snorted at that) "-and my parents are Ivan and Linessa Miro."

Slughorn clapped his hands together, "Yes, Miro. A very recognized name. Mostly for pureblood Slytherin, yes?"

I clenched my jaw. "That's right, though I'm the first Gryffindor in generations."

"Interesting...interesting..." Slughorn began to rub his chin. "And you're very wealthy, aren't you?"

"My parents are."

"Well, shouldn't that make you as well?" Slughorn questioned, confused.

"Not quite," I bit my lip. I heard some snickering from the Slytherins on the opposite side of me. They were obviously enjoying this.

"I'm afraid I don't understand?" Slughorn shook his head.

I sighed, "My parents and I are two different sides of the spectrum. We aren't close and they don't support me in any departments of my life."

"So...you have no ties to them?" Slughorn's tone was disappointment, that much was clear.

"Excluding blood, none at all."

"I see," Was Slughorn's only response.

For the rest of the meeting, I wasn't mentioned again.

* * *

Draco was seated at one of the compartment tables on the far end of the train. His eyes never strayed from his hands placed palms down on the table until he heard someone coming down the aisle.

"Zabini," Draco murmured, without even looking up. "How did your little meeting go?"

Blaise sat down at the opposite side of Draco, looking at him nonchalantly. "Fine. Slughorn is just trying to create ties to the well-connected people."

"Who was there?" Draco questioned, a bit insulted. He, after all, was well-connected.

"Uh – McLaggen, some kid named Belby, Potter, Weaslette, and oh, get this, Christina Miro too!" Blaise laughed.

Draco, however, didn't find any humor in that whatsoever. He straightened so fast that he nearly fell off his seat. "Miro? He invited _Miro_?"

Blaise seemed taken aback by his tone. "Yeah...but I'm sure it's for the last time. He found out about her and her parent's relationship, and you could literally see the interest leaving his eyes. And I don't think she has enough intelligence to stay there purely on that merit."

Draco clenched his jaw, not feeling any relief at all. _Christina's smart, not nearly as smart as me, but she's no idiot. _Though he'd never admit it out loud.

"You say that he knows about Miro's status with her parents?" he asked, just to make sure.

"Oh yeah, it was pretty amusing watching her answer all his questions," Blaise laughed again, but Draco still didn't laugh along with him.

"And _precious_ Potter," Draco sneered. "No surprise there."

"Slughorn was all over him," Blaise agreed.

Draco shook his head suddenly, "It's not like I care. So what if I wasn't invited? I probably won't even be at Hogwarts next year."

"Why wouldn't you be at Hogwarts next year?" Blaise asked, curiously.

Draco smirked slightly, but it didn't reach his eyes, "You never know where life is going to take you, Zabini. I may move onto bigger and better things."

"What _are_ you talking about, Malfoy?" Blaise questioned, shaking his head, but a sudden look of shock hit his features. "You don't mean – _Him_?"

Draco shrugged noncommittally. "I wouldn't even be here this year if it wasn't for Mother. She so desperately wants me to finish my education. But will that really matter when the Dark Lord takes over? When that happens, the only important factors will be who has served him and how well."

Blaise seemed dumbfounded by the news, "And you – a sixteen year old son of an untrustworthy Death Eater – think you can do something to please _Him_?"

"Maybe," Draco said harshly. "Maybe the job he's asked me to do is something he entrusts me with?"

Blaise's face was set in an astonished expression. What did Malfoy get himself into?

* * *

"Well that was interesting," I spoke to Harry on our way back to the compartment.

"Don't think too much on it, Christina. I told you what he's like," Harry said, trying to make me feel better.

"It's fine, Harry. I'm not really upset...amused, actually. And you were right, his reaction was pretty comical."

Harry laughed, but studied my face a bit longer, trying to be sure I was okay.

Once we got back to the compartment, we noticed two new faces - Luna and Neville.

"Hey!" I greeted happily, plopping myself down next to Hermione. They each gave a small smile, but it didn't reach their eyes.

"Christina," Luna began gently, "We've just been talking about our nightmares...isn't it a bit strange? We've been having the same ones too."

"I figured," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"What do you reckon it means?" Neville asked.

I groaned, "I have no idea!"

"Dumbledore would know," Luna suggested softly. "We should go to him."

"That's what I thought," I agreed. "Once we get to Hogwarts, after the ceremony."

"You know," Hermione piped in. "I really wonder what Hogwarts is going to be like this year. I mean, last year we had that whole Umbridge fiasco, and started Dumbledore's Army, and it really was a year we all came into our own. But now, with this new threat, it's not like everything is going to be perfectly normal."

"Dumbledore will take the necessary precautions," Harry said. "Protecting the students was always his number one priority."

"But mate, this is You-Know-Who we're talking about. We all know what he's capable of, and I'm sure there's more to come. No matter where we go, it's not safe anymore," Ron sighed.

"Will we continue Dumbledore's Army?" Neville asked.

Harry shrugged, "It's not like it's of any use now...Umbridge has been removed."

"But we can train to help in the impending war?" I suggested.

"We can discuss it, but I doubt Voldemort will be impressed of a group of students fighting in the name of Dumbledore. This is going to be way bigger than the Department of Mysteries. And look what happened there? We barely made it out of there, even with the help of the Order of the Phoenix," Harry shook his head. "But, that doesn't mean we'll just give up."

Everyone nodded.

"I liked Dumbledore's Army," Luna said, "It made it seem like I had friends."

Luna had a way of being bluntly honest, in whatever subject.

"Luna, we all _are_ friends," I reassured her.

"That's nice," Luna smiled, and stared off into space again.

We all followed her gaze out of the window and saw the castle coming into view.

"We should probably start changing into our robes," Hermione said, standing up promptly and rummaging through her bag for her robes.

I continued to stare out the window, however. Whether the circumstances were different or not, one thing was still the same...

Hogwarts was my home.

* * *

**A/N: Not much Draco/Christina action, I know, but I need these chapters for plot. I promise, more action is coming soon ;D Also, I changed a bit of this scene from the book and movie. Harry doesn't spy on Draco, it wouldn't work for the plot of this story since Lucius wasn't arrested. So, just in case you were looking for that scene. Anyway, R&R!**


	17. Ten Things I Hate About You

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Some of these lines are directly from The Half-Blood Prince.**

* * *

The Great Hall was as magnificent as ever.

As we took our seats at our house tables, we watched the sorting ceremony and clapped whenever we welcomed a new housemate.

Once the sorting ceremony was over, Dumbledore approached the podium. All laughter and chatter died down immediately as every student looked to him.

"Good evening to you all!" Dumbledore began. "To our new students...welcome, and to our old students – welcome back! Now, for announcements Mr. Filch has asked me to inform all students that the use of any items sold at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is strictly prohibited."

Ron and I shared a look after I snorted rather loudly. I still had the items Fred and George gave me in my trunk. I was definitely going to cause a little trouble this year.

"To those who wish to try out for their House Quidditch team should speak to their Head of House and usual. We are also pleased to welcome a new member of our faculty – Horace Slughorn," Dumbledore paused while the crowd began to clap slowly.

Slughorn stood up from his seat at the staff table and greeted all the students with a wave.

"Professor Slughorn is an old friend and colleague, and had agreed to be our Potions master."

Ron nearly fell off his seat. "Potions?"

"_Potions_?" I repeated as well.

The news didn't seem to come as a shock to Harry.

"And Professor Snape will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Dumbledore continued.

This time we all nearly slipped out of our seats.

"_SNAPE_?" Was basically the repeated word throughout the Great Hall.

Harry seemed surprised by _this_, as he went along with all our muttering protests.

"There's no way he'll last the year," Harry shook his head, "The job is cursed anyway."

"Yeah, but then we'll just see him back in Potions," Ron groaned, not finding a way out of this.

"Do you think Dumbledore going to mention Voldemort?" I asked quietly, leaning my head in closer to a Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "I think that's pretty important."

"He usually saves the important things for last...he's probably going to say it now," Harry replied.

And as if he heard us, Dumbledore started.

"Now, on a serious note. I'm sure we are all very aware that Lord Voldemort is back and gaining power quickly."

Everyone's heads turned in a flash to face the Headmaster, everyone except for Draco, that is. He was leisurely pushing peas around his plate, not even looking up when Pansy tapped his shoulder.

"I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous this situation is. Everyone here at Hogwarts is concerned with the safety of the school and its students. We have taken every measure possible to ensure that safety. That's why you will have to understand that all trips to Hogsmeade for the time being are canceled."

There was immediate uproar in the Great Hall.

"That's not fair!" someone shouted.

"We love Hogsmeade!" a couple others protested.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore's voice reached all around the Great Hall, and everyone immediately shut up. "We will take every available precaution to ensure your safety. And right now, this is mandatory. Any student caught in Hogsmeade will face the necessary consequences."

Silence still filled the hall.

"I think that's it for tonight –now, bed for everyone. Pip pip!" Dumbledore clapped his hands together.

All the students began to file out of the Hall.

"We have to talk to Dumbledore tonight," I spoke, watching Dumbledore begin to converse with Slughorn.

"Let's get up to our dorms. He'll be in his office tonight," Harry said, and pulled me towards the exit along with everyone else.

* * *

"Please, _please_ tell me we have our classes together," I pleaded, checking over Harry and Ron's schedules back in our common room. "Yes! Every class! You boys wanna be Aurors too?"

"Definitely," Harry said seriously, while Ron merely nodded, noncommittally.

"Hermione?" I turned to her. "What's your schedule like?"

"Busy," She blew a stray piece of hair from her face. "I probably have the core classes with you, but I'm taking a couple other subjects."

I grabbed her schedule, "Hermione!" My eyes almost flew out of my head. "A _couple _other subjects? You're taking four other optional courses! How are you going to function?" I gasped as I continued looking over it. "I mean, I know you dropped Divination, but you didn't have to substitute three extra classes for it!"

Hermione pulled back her schedule and held it to her chest protectively, "I'm only taking what's necessary."

"In your world," Ron input, rolling his eyes. "You're not using the time turner are you? We all know how that went in third year..."

"No," Hermione said indignantly. "I am not. Just because I'm actually worried about finding a reasonable job after Hogwarts-"

Sensing an argument about to arise, I cut in, "I think we should go see Dumbledore now. Hermione, you're popular with the Ravenclaws, can you fetch Luna? And Harry, Ron, can you get Neville and Ginny? And meet me at Dumbledore's office."

Everyone eventually nodded and we went our separate ways.

* * *

I was surprised to see the corridors so...quiet.

I mean, it was only an hour to curfew; usually people were wandering the halls. It was strange.

Whistling to myself, I tried calm my nerves. I was extremely anxious about telling Dumbledore about these nightmares. I feared what he would say.

Turning around a corner, I was momentarily knocked off balance after colliding with another body.

"I'm so sorry I must've – _Malfoy_!" I shouted once I recognized the student.

Draco looked at me coldly, "What are _you_ doing here, Miro?"

"I could ask you the same question," I narrowed my eyes.

The conversation about Draco I had on the train suddenly entered my mind, and my eyes instinctively locked onto his left wrist.

What if it _was_ there? What would I do? How would I react? How would _he_ react?

Draco continued to stare at me even while I was immersed in my own thoughts. "I happen to be a _prefect_." He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

I finally gave in, "I'm going to see Dumbledore," I answered simply.

Draco snorted, "For _what_?"

"You know what," I mumbled, looking away quickly.

When Draco didn't reply, however, I looked back to see his eyes soften for a moment – but only a moment.

"Oh...that," Draco shrugged uncaringly. "Whatever."

"Yeah, whatever," I repeated blandly, but was still confused by the moment of softness. "Can I see your arm for a second?" I asked meekly and very quietly.

I saw Draco's eyes widen infinitesimally before returning to normal. "_Why_?" he asked harshly.

"I'm just curious. Draco...please let me see your arm," I was almost begging, but I needed to know.

If he had the mark, there was no further hope for him. Not from me, anyway.

"Don't call me that...not anymore," Draco snarled.

I felt a pang of hurt, but didn't release him from my strong gaze. Finally Draco rolled his eyes dramatically before sticking out his arm.

His right one.

He waved it in front of my face childishly. "See? Nothing special!"

"Don't play this game with me, Malfoy. Your other arm," I grit my teeth.

Draco clenched his jaw, "Have you gotten your hands on a bottle of firewhiskey? What's the matter with you?"

"I don't care what you have to say, just SHOW ME YOUR ARM!" I shouted, getting extremely frustrated.

The more he refused, the more sure I was that he did have it.

Draco suddenly took three steps forwards and pushed me into the wall roughly. My back collided with the wall soundlessly, but the echo of my grunt encompassed the whole corridor.

"I know what you're doing, Miro. You better cut this rubbish before you get hurt," Draco took another threatening step forward.

I laughed out loud, despite the pain in my back. "I'm not scared of you, Malfoy. I never was and I never will be."

"That's a mistake," Draco snapped. "You have no idea what connections I have."

"Oh, I have a pretty firm idea. Do you forget where I come from? I may not be a part of it but I do know about it," I explained harshly. "Now..." I abruptly pushed him back and then twisted around, tossing him into the wall in my place.

I grabbed a hold of his left wrist sharply and struggled to pull up his sleeve. Draco fought back with equal fervor, and soon both my wrists were in his grip.

Our chests were touching, and our faces inches apart, and I knew that if someone were to encounter us they would definitely get the wrong idea.

We each stopped struggling and I found myself mesmerized as I looked into Draco's icy eyes, trying to find some type of explanation or emotion.

"Everything we talked about during summer? Everything we witnessed...did that have no effect on you?" I whispered desperately.

Draco laughed humorlessly, his voice taking on a dangerous edge, "Just the opposite actually."

And I knew that he didn't mean in a 'good' way.

"You're lying," I quipped. "Please tell me you're lying. You know...you know what he is..."

Draco pushed his face forward so close to mine that I had to bend my neck back. "Who are _you_ to judge me? Who are _you_ to dictate my life? Criticize my actions? You know _nothing_."

"I got out, and so can you," I desperately tried to convince him, but I feared that it was too late.

"Yes, you did, and look where that got you. Alone. Useless. Worthless," Draco shook his head. "That life isn't for me."

"I can help you, Draco."

I really didn't understand why I wanted to help him, after everything he'd said and done to me. But somehow, I felt like we both had similar circumstances. Deep down, though Draco did firmly believe in pureblood supremacy, I knew that he did _not_ believe in Voldemort or the destruction that he is capable of causing. It was in his eyes. And I was looking in them now, and still saw that emotion, though it was fading fast.

I was connected to him, through our life stories, and I knew that with the right circumstances he could get away from this path as well. A path that only led to Voldemort and death.

I just wasn't sure how forgone he was.

"Help me?" Draco sneered and pushed me away fully. "I don't want your help. I don't _need_ it. You just don't get it, do you?" Draco shook his head. "It doesn't even matter. When he does take over the wizarding world, you and your kind will be first on his list...and I'll make sure he knows where _you_ are."

And with that, Draco pushed himself off the wall and continued down the corridor like nothing even happened.

I leaned back against the wall and slid down, trying to quell my oncoming headache. I was so angry with him. _He_ was the one who didn't seem to get it. This path to Voldemort would get him nothing but an early grave, I knew this.

But Draco's intense sense of self-worth refused to let him see things for what they were. Whatever 'connections' he had, they would get him killed.

I hated Draco Malfoy. I truly did.

He was egotistical, cruel, haughty, and a plethora of other negative adjectives.

His views on the world were biased and wrong, though he firmly believed the opposite.

But it wasn't solely because of his views and ideals, though I vehemently disagreed with them and would fight against them no matter what the circumstance.

I hated him because he took every one of my weaknesses and used them against me.

I hated him because he refused the help that would save his life.

And I hated him for making me care.

* * *

**A/N: DUN DUN DUNNNN! Finally some Hogwarts chapters...exciting things to come :D R&R!**


	18. A Long Road Ahead

**Disclaimer: Is it even possible for anyone to own Harry Potter besides J.K Rowling? So no, I don't own it.**

* * *

"Cockroach Crunch?" I threw out hopefully.

"Sherbet Lemon?" Ron input.

"Chocolate Frogs?" Hermione guessed, but to no avail.

"Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?" Harry tried.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and I had been outside Dumbledore's office for a good while now, taking turns guessing the password.

It usually was a type of candy, but none of our guesses worked so far.

We all leaned tiredly against the wall, rummaging our brains for other types of candy. It was now past curfew, and if a teacher caught us out of our dorms we would most likely get detention.

I just hoped that if anyone were to find us, it would be anyone but Snape.

We were literally seconds away from giving up and going back to our common rooms when we heard a faint clicking sound, and the statue heading towards Dumbledore's office began to move.

"I think it wants us to follow it," Luna said softly, pointing towards the statue. It was stating the obvious, but that's what we did.

One by one we followed it up until we were all standing in front of Dumbledore's door.

"You knock," Ron moved back, unsure of what to do. Hermione rolled her eyes and lightly knocked on the door three times.

Seconds later we saw both doors swing open and Dumbledore looked at us curiously. "This is quite a surprise. Isn't it past curfew?" Dumbledore looked stern, but his tone told us otherwise. "Come in."

He stepped aside and let us in one by one. None of us took a seat and remained standing, crowding around his desk.

"Now, I don't believe you would be coming here at this late hour with _classes tomorrow_ if you didn't have something significant to tell me," There was an amused twinkle in his eye. "So?"

"Sir," I began, taking the lead. "Over the summer, I began having these nightmares. About Voldemort," Dumbledore didn't seem put off by the use of his name, so I continued. "They weren't just scary dreams...but real nightmares. And I talked about it with everyone here, and well...we're all having the same nightmare. It's exactly the same, down to the smallest detail," I stopped and let that new information process in Dumbledore's brain.

He seemed to have lost the twinkle in his eye.

Dumbledore slowly sat down at his desk and folded his arms under his chin. "When did these nightmares start?" he asked.

"Though mine only started a couple weeks ago, the basic guess is after the Department of Mysteries," I explained.

Dumbledore continued to look us over, not making any movement or further inquiries.

"What do you think this means?" Ron asked, anxious to have answers.

"I am not sure," Dumbledore answered honestly.

"Does it have anything to do with what happened at the Department of Mysteries?" Harry asked.

"I do not know," Dumbledore replied, "Do you feel real pain in these nightmares?"

"Yes," everyone in the room answered unanimously.

"I see," Dumbledore nodded. "I will need to consult my books, for right now I have no answers."

I bit my lip, "Do you have something for now that will suppress nightmares?"

Though I haven't had another nightmare in a while, the fear of one always kept me up at night.

"That I can give you...tomorrow, though. I will consult with Madame Pomfrey and ask her to make me seven batches of the designated potion," Dumbledore promised.

He was outwardly calm, but inside his mind was probably in turmoil. I could almost see his brain working from behind his eyes. He really didn't know what to make of this, but he would definitely try to figure it out.

"Thank you," we all replied gratefully.

"You are certainly welcome," Dumbledore nodded faintly. "Now, I suggest that you go back to your common rooms and get rest for tomorrow's classes. This is an important year. I will contact you tomorrow with the potion."

We all thanked Dumbledore again before leaving his office no different than we entered.

* * *

I was lying in my bed, tossing and turning.

I honestly thought that being at Hogwarts would solve all my problems, but they now seemed to be coming back tenfold.

I was either thinking about the nightmares, anticipating a nightmare, anxious to do well this year, or wondering about Draco and what he was up to.

Everything all together just added up to headaches and worry. Obviously I couldn't escape that no matter where I went...my home, Malfoy Manor, Diagon Alley, or even Hogwarts.

I heard a sharp scream come from the bed next to me and I nearly hit my head on one of the bed posts as I sat up.

It was Hermione's bed.

Another scream pierced my ears and I rushed to get out from under the covers. I practically tripped on the sheets as I scurried over and knelt by Hermione's side. Tearing open the canopy, I saw Hermione writhing in the bed, a sheen of sweat covering her forehead.

"Hermione!" I whispered, afraid to even touch her.

She screamed again, and the rest of our roommates woke up abruptly.

"What's going on?" they asked, looking around with confusion.

"She's having a nightmare," I explained quickly, only focusing on Hermione. "Hermione!" I called again, and I chanced placing a hand on her shoulder.

She immediately begin writing again and I clutched onto her shoulder tighter. "Hermione, you're okay. Hermione! It's a nightmare, wake up, listen to my voice!" I pleaded desperately, shaking her softly.

Hermione actually stopped flailing, and her breathing rate returned to normal. I knew she was waking up. I crawled over to my nightstand and grabbed my wand.

"_Accio washcloth_!" I whispered, and caught the piece of cloth that flew to me.

As Hermione's eyes fluttered open in fear and confusion, I dabbed her forehead with the cloth, wiping away the damp, cold sweat.

"Christina?" Hermione rasped out, clutching onto my wrist tightly.

"Yeah, it's me," I assured, giving her a small smile. "You're okay."

Hermione looked away and put her head back down on the pillow. "Another nightmare," she stated the obvious.

"Same thing?" I asked, continuing to wipe her forehead.

"Yeah," she nodded slowly. "What time is it?"

I checked the clock, "4am."

She bit her lip, feeling guilty, "I'm sorry I woke everyone up."

I looked around the room again and found that all our roommates had gone back to sleep.

"Don't be sorry, it's not your fault."

"You should go back to sleep," Hermione whispered, turning on her side to face me.

"I'll go back to sleep once you do, okay?" I cajoled, placing the damp cloth onto her nightstand. "How about you just talk to me now?"

Hermione nodded, and I could still see some fear in her eyes. "I'm scared for this year," she admitted softly. "Every year I tell myself I'm going to go easy and stay manageable, but then once I see the subject selection my brain has a fit. Am I crazy?"

I managed a laugh, "No, you aren't crazy Herms. I think it's more of the fact that you want to learn so much, and there's only so little time. Wanting to learn is a wonderful thing, and I admire your willpower to do so. If I had half the schedule you had I would've thrown myself off the Astronomy Tower long ago."

Hermione actually laughed, but said nothing.

"You'll be okay, Herms. And if you ever need anything, you've got some great friends over here," I smiled, but then pursed my lips. "I've had something on my mind lately, too. It's weird, but I can't stop thinking about Malfoy. And before you go off the deep end, it's not in _that_ way. I just...I don't know, worry about him I guess. I've never done that before, but after this summer, I think something happened between us. I mean, we understand each other. With just a certain look or an emotion in his eyes I can tell exactly what he's going through, and vice versa. I don't understand this connection, and I'm not sure I want to," I paused slightly. "Wow, that does sound like it could be taken out of context...but I'm being serious. What do you think Hermione?"

Hermione didn't respond.

"Herms?" I asked again, looking down.

Hermione had fallen back to sleep, and hadn't heard a word I said. I sighed, maybe it was for the best.

I slowly got back into my own bed and mentally went over everything I had admitted out loud only seconds ago. It was all true, but it nonetheless felt weird saying it aloud.

The more I thought about the words, the more anxious I got, and that was the last thing I needed right now.

My gaze flickered to my schedule on the small bedside cabinet to my right. I stretched towards it and only pulled back when I felt it grasped in my hand. Looking it over, I wanted to see what classes I had to look forward to today..._Monday_.

After breakfast I had my first N.E.W.T level class, Defense Against the Dark Arts...with Snape, no less. _And_ with Slytherins. Not a fun start to my morning.

Then I had Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws. I smiled slightly, I really did miss McGonagall and couldn't wait for her class.

Lunch was next, but the _real fun_ came after that.

Double Potions. With the Slytherins. I couldn't foresee that going well.

And then dinner. Done.

I tossed my schedule onto the cabinet and fell back onto my side, thinking.

Dumbledore was right, this year _was_ important. In more ways than one.

I was taking all N.E.W.T level courses and I needed to do well in them if I had any chance of continuing my pursuit to become an Auror.

The only problem was that two of those courses were taught by two professors that didn't seem to take a liking to me.

There was Snape, whose obvious dislike of anything Harry Potter related seemed to stem to his best friends as well. No matter how hard I tried in his class he would find ways to take marks off.

And now that he was teaching my favorite class, D.A.D.A, it was only going to be so much worse. I was actually really good in that class, and now it's just all going to go to waste because I won't be up to his impossibly high standards.

But honestly, I was more worried about Potions.

I really never was good at that subject; but Snape just magnified that fact.

I had gotten off on the wrong foot with Slughorn on the train, and now I was worried he would automatically assume that I wasn't as smart or competent as the other students...the wealthier, more influential students.

I sighed explosively, turning over onto my other side.

The only good thing about my schedule was the fact that Harry and Ron would have everything with me. Hermione too, before she went off to her crazy amount of electives.

As long as I had friends with me, I would be okay.

I was tired of feeling alone. I was just really freaking tired of being judged and demeaned because of my views. Hopefully, that would soon change.

I finally allowed my eyes to close, hoping to claim at least another hour of sleep before breakfast.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

Scratch that, this term was going to be a long _year_.

* * *

**A/N: No Draco action, but believe me, a lot is about to come. Be prepared! Anyway, hope you are enjoying this... R&R! :D**


	19. Potions Problems

**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine. It's J.K Rowling, rightfully. **

* * *

Did I mention that I hate Snape? You know, because _I REALLY HATE SNAPE_.

My morning started out fairly well, I greeted old friends I missed over the summer, had a nice breakfast with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and then set off towards my first class, Defense Against the Dark Arts.

And then things went downhill.

When we arrived in the class Snape _definitely_ couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a subtle snide remark, just loud enough for us to hear.

The Slytherins were in that class too, oh joy.

One of them happened to be Vincent Crabbe, and he kicked out his leg as we were passing and tripped Ron. I didn't know if Ron was indeed his target or if he would've settled for any of us.

That almost ended with detentions and bloody noses.

Luckily we were able to pull Ron away before any real fighting could happen, and he began ranting about what kind of hexes he was going to use if he ever passed Crabbe in the hall.

Snape spent literally the entire class going over the curriculum we would be learning this year, and that would've been interesting if it wasn't being explained in Snape's sneering monotone voice.

This year we would be learning nonverbal spells, which was one of the things I was desperately looking forward to.

We'd also be learning more about Dementors, but Harry gave a great big snort at that.

I think we knew enough about _Dementors_ from year three.

Snape also mentioned something about 'Inferi', but I had never heard of that before. Looking to Ron and Harry, I also noticed their confused glances as well.

It was at this time that Hermione rolled her eyes and began in her know-it-all voice, "Inferi, or an Inferius, is a dead body reanimated by a Dark Wizard. It's similar to a _zombie_. They have no free will, and cannot think for themselves. Their sole purpose after reanimation is only to serve the wizard or witch."

Saved by Hermione, the walking dictionary.

But there was one thing Snape mentioned that I was quite shocked to hear.

We would be learning more about The Unforgivable Curses.

Specifically the Cruciatus Curse and resisting the Imperius Curse.

I was fearfully fascinated by this, and anticipated the lesson, even if it was with Snape.

Snape then began to discuss the difficulty of the course, and how only those with real promise would be able to keep up and continue taking N.E.W.T level courses.

He turned in Harry's direction and gave us all a sneer.

A good sign, I'd say.

As Snape continued on, I looked to the left of me, and saw Draco sitting with Blaise Zambini and Theodore Nott, another Slytherin.

I was rather surprised that once I spotted him, he turned his head away quickly. It was done inconspicuously, but I noticed.

Was he staring at _me_?

My thoughts wandered. His left arm was covered with his Slytherin sweater, so I still couldn't see anything above the knuckles.

As I continued to stare, Draco must've felt my eyes because he turned back and gave me a snarl. I merely narrowed my eyes at him, not backing down.

I wasn't lying when I said I wasn't afraid of him.

But I was afraid of his choices.

And _that_ was what I thought about throughout the rest of the class.

* * *

Now here we were in Transfiguration.

Hermione didn't have it with us, so it was just me, Harry, and Ron.

When McGonagall asked us to move to desks that only fit two people, I told Harry and Ron to go ahead and sit together. I'd find someone else to sit with.

The Ravenclaws shared this class with us, and before I could find an empty seat, I felt a tentative tap on my shoulder. I twirled around quickly and smiled once I saw who it was.

"Christina? Hi...I'm Terry...Terry Boot," Terry introduced.

I chuckled, "I know who you are Terry! Would you like some company at your table? Unless it's already taken?"

Terry shook his head, "No it's free!" he said quickly, and led me towards the table halfway to the back. We sat while we waited for McGonagall to begin the lesson.

"You usually come sit with Hermione and I when we're studying at the library, right?" I asked, making friendly conversation.

"Yeah," Terry replied, "That Hermione is incredibly smart...she helped me with my spells when we were in Dumbledore's Army."

"Ah so that's why you sit with us in the library, to get Hermione's help!" I accused jokingly.

Terry laughed along, "Yeah, she's a wonder at Charms. I got an Exceeding Expectation on the O.W.L.s with her help! But, I also came there...uh...to see you," Terry blushed brightly, and I bit my lip to stop from smiling widely at his sheepishness.

"Really?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Yes...I was too shy to talk to you though," Terry admitted, blushing an even deeper red.

"I know my name tends to scare away people...or draw in the _wrong_ people, but you know me, Terry, you know what I'm really like."

Terry nodded, "I do. And it wasn't your name that kept me from talking to you...it was just...you. You're very well-rounded, and I didn't want to bore you."

I chuckled rather loudly, "We're talking now, aren't we? And I don't find you boring in the slightest," I assured him.

Terry gave a triumphant smile as McGonagall began to address the class.

"Hello, class, and welcome back to another year. Before we begin doing any magic, I would like to explain the curriculum and requirements for this year."

As McGonagall explained, I paid rapt attention.

We were going to be learning nonverbal spells, which was no shock to me. We'd probably be doing that in every class.

We'd also be learning the Bird-Conjuring Charm, which seemed interesting enough.

And we'd learn how to changing the colors of eyebrows, which may be fun.

This class was going to be good, I could tell.

* * *

"I don't know about you, but I've been hungry since Defence Against the Dark Arts," Ron said as we walked to the Great Hall for lunch.

"Ron, that was right after _breakfast_!" I shook my head incredulously.

"Well, dealing with Snape seems to enhance my appetite," Ron defended.

"Oh really? I'd imagine it would have the opposite effect," Harry mused as we entered the Great Hall.

But as we entered, we almost collided with a pack of Slytherins, among them Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zambini.

This was going to be trouble.

As expected, Ron and Zambini began to have a stare off.

"You got a problem, Weasel?" Zambini taunted.

"So what if I do?" Ron snapped back, his face flushing with restrained anger.

"Ron, come on," I tried to pull his sleeve to lead him into the Great Hall. "It's not worth it, _he's_ not worth it."

After hearing those words, Zambini turned his cold glare to me. "So Miro, having second thoughts about taking Advanced Potions this year?" he sneered at me. "I don't think Slughorn would want a _blood traitor_ in his perfect group of students."

"No, I haven't. I think I'll let my work speak for itself, unlike _some people_," I crossed my arms. "And I'd watch your tongue, Zambini, we're in the presence of a _prefect_," I said sarcastically, shooting a glance towards Draco.

With his subtle mention, Draco stepped forward coolly. "I only see _one_ problem here," he spoke slowly, and his message was clear.

I held his stare before my eyes drifted down to his left wrist, which was hanging limp against his side. Draco followed my gaze.

"So do I," I murmured, and looked back up into his eyes with unspoken emotion.

Draco narrowed his eyes, and turned to Zambini and the others. "Let's go, nothing to see here."

After he gave me a passing glare, the Slytherins disappeared down the hall. I turned to Ron. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Ron said, anger still present in his voice. "You?"

"I'm okay," I nodded, and we made our way to the Gryffindor table. "So, are you ready for the next class?" I asked while we started to eat.

"What is it again?" Ron asked, his voice muffled from chewing.

"Double Potions."

He nearly dropped his fork..._nearly_. "Why did you have to go and remind me? It's times like this that I would rather have Snape teaching Potions, at least he wouldn't have let in Exceeding Expectations. This is gonna be hard," Ron complained.

"I don't even have the right books for it," Harry sighed. "I thought that I wouldn't be in the class because Snape was the Potions master."

"Same," I admitted. "Hopefully there will be extra books."

All of our heads turned once we heard a loud noise next to us.

It was Hermione, who already looked like she'd been through a windstorm. Her face was flushed and her curls were even more out of place than usual. Without even looking at us, she began picking on some grapes as she set to work with doing her homework.

"You've got homework..._already_?" Ron asked incredulously. "Seriously Hermione, we've got to discuss your inability to control your workload."

Hermione shot him a look that clearly said 'do _not_ talk to me', and I knew it was best to let her be, especially after the night she had.

"Boys, let's start heading to Potions," I started to pull them away from Hermione. "See you in the dungeons, Herms. Don't be late."

Hermione just gave a short wave without looking up, continuing to write furiously.

"She's going to work herself into the ground one day," Ron shook his head. "I can barely stand seven classes and she's taking twelve...TWELVE!"

"That's just Hermione, Ron. She's been this way since first year, have we ever expected her to change?" Harry questioned.

"She'll always be a nutter then," Ron mumbled. "I just hope it pays off for her in the end."

* * *

I knew things would be awkward from the minute Slughorn laid his eyes on me.

He first gave me a forced smile and opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but then closed it stupidly and raised his hands in uncertainty.

Yeah...awkward.

As the class piled in, Hermione finally arrived just as the bell sounded. She soon found and joined us.

It appeared that the Gryffindors took to one side, while Slytherin claimed the other half of the room.

Slughorn looked around at his advanced students with wonder. There were ten students in total, six Gryffindors and four Slytherins.

Now that's what you call _irony_.

"Hello class," Slughorn began, clapping his hands together. "I would ask everyone to come to the front of the room...I will be assigning station partners."

Every student in the class groaned slightly as we shuffled our feet until we reached the front of the room. Slughorn glanced at us in contemplation, rubbing his chin.

"First station...you...ah..."

"Ron Weasley, sir," Ron said in a nice enough voice.

"Ah, a Weasley! I should have known by your trademark hair. I met your sister already, on the Hogwarts Express. Exceptionally smart young woman, very sharp tongue! How about you go to the first station with...Miss. Parkinson."

I could almost _hear_ the 'no' that was about to slip off Ron's tongue. But he luckily stopped it, and after giving us an annoyed look, followed Pansy to the station.

"Station two...ah...you, Mr...?"

"Thomas, sir. Dean Thomas," Dean answered sharply.

"Mr. Thomas, very well – and the young woman next to him, you are?" Slughorn asked brightly.

"Lavender Brown, sir," she replied mildly.

"Brown...Brown yes you're parents are very wealthy, aren't they?" Slughorn was immediately curious.

"Yes, sir."

"Indeed, indeed...can you join your classmate Mr. Thomas at the second station?"

Lavender nodded and shuffled away towards the table.

"Now how about...ah...Miss...?"

"Granger, sir," Hermione responded politely. "Hermione Granger."

Slughorn analyzed her for a moment, and it looked like he mouthed 'Granger' in confusion. He most likely didn't recognize the surname as it was a muggle name.

"Miss. Granger, can you and...Mr. Nott take station three?" he asked.

Hermione nodded and Theodore Nott sighed gruffly as they took their seats at the station. I could see Theodore Nott's mouth move to form the word 'mudblood', and seconds later Hermione 'accidently' dropped her bag on his foot. He flinched in pain and continued to glare daggers at her.

I smiled brightly. _That's my girl!_

That smile immediately vacated my face, however, when I heard Slughorn call my name. "Miss. Miro, yes..." he began, avoiding eye contact with me. "Can you take station four with Mr. Malfoy?"

I nearly let out a grunt. Seriously? Really?

I chanced a look over at Draco and he hardly looked pleased at the arrangements either.

But unfortunately, we couldn't protest Slughorn's instructions.

Harry gave me a reassuring squeeze on my arm as I walked to station four, followed by Draco.

"And that leaves Mr. Potter and Mr. Zambini. Station five, please," Slughorn finished, looking rather pleased with his work.

"Very well! I say we begin class," Slughorn said enthusiastically, but then jumped slightly as if he remembered something. "It's been years since I've taught...I almost forgot! I need to explain the curriculum first. But then I have something very special to show you all."

The class seemed interested at that prospect.

"Now, this course is N.E.W.T level, as you already know. It is an advanced class, and therefore the workload will be more complicated than the years before. But I have faith that you all will be able to handle it," he faltered a bit, and it was clear that he did _not_ have faith that everyone in the room could indeed 'handle it'.

Slughorn explained the many Potions we would be learning about and brewing. Among the ones I caught were Amortentia, Felix Felicis, Polyjuice Potion, Veritaserum, Draught of the Living Death, Everlasting Elixirs, Poison antidotes, Hiccoughing Solution, and Elixir to Induce Euphoria.

All seemed fairly interesting.

"The first potion we'll be brewing this year is...Amortentia," Slughorn began, "Can anyone tell me what this potion is?"

Hermione's hand shot up, and she was the only one who showed any enthusiasm in answering the question.

"Yes, Miss. Granger?"

"Amortentia is the most powerful Love Potion in the world. It has a different scent for everyone who smells it, reminding each person of the things that they find most attractive, even if the person themselves doesn't acknowledge or is unaware of their fondness for the object of their affection," Hermione explained it sharply and clearly.

"Very good Miss. Granger...ten points to Gryffindor," Slughorn was impressed, despite still being unsure of her parentage. "Amortentia doesn't create actual love, of course. That's impossible. But it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. For that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room."

Everyone's eyes went to the cauldron that was on Slughorn's table.

"Yes, yes. I have a premade batch of Amortentia in this cauldron. I would like to have some volunteers to come up and smell it," Slughorn began looking through the class.

Lavender and Pansy seemed to almost be flying out of their seats, their arms in the air.

But Slughorn didn't seem to pay mind to them, as he continued to scan the room.

I kept my head down at all costs.

It was an unspoken rule that once you made eye contact with a teacher, you were going to get picked. I chanced a look to Draco, who seemed to be doing the same thing as me, although more inconspicuously.

We both probably looked like barrels of fun over here, with our heads down and our bodies rigid.

"Miss. Granger, since you were able to tell us about the potion, can you come up and take a sniff?" Slughorn finally asked, and I couldn't distinctly hear two female groans.

"Certainly, professor," Hermione conceded and got up from her station. She walked up to the cauldron and put her face close to the potion. "I smell..." she began uncertainly. "Freshly cut grass...new parchment...spearmint toothpaste...and..." Hermione quickly lifted her head from the cauldron. "That's it."

Slughorn nodded brightly, "Very good, Hermione."

As Hermione went to sit down, Slughorn began to scan the room again.

_Please don't pick me, please don't pick me..._

"Mr. Malfoy, would you please come and smell the potion?" Slughorn asked.

_Okay that works._

"And, Miss. Miro, could you join him?"

_Never mind._

Draco and I stood up stiffly, and dragged our feet towards the front of the room.

"Miss. Miro, why don't you go first?" Slughorn motioned for me to put my head towards the potion.

I begrudgingly agreed, and placed my nose a couple inches above the liquid. I was immediately hit with three distinct smells. This was my first experience with Amortentia, and the notion that I could smell three different things at once was new and strange.

"I smell..." I started, before taking another loud sniff, "A broomstick...fresh clothes...and..." I faltered slightly when I realized the last smell. "And...mint."

"Very well then. Mr. Malfoy, would you smell as well?" Slughorn instructed.

I numbly walked away from the cauldron and leaned up against the closest station for balance. I watched as Draco nearly rolled his eyes before sticking his head towards the cauldron.

He sniffed twice.

"I smell tea...rain...and..." Draco paused slightly. "Raspberries."

* * *

**A/N: Yay first day of classes! This is so fun to write! I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, and to all those who have reviewed/followed/favorited...THANK YOU! You guys rock and give me tons of motivation. I hope I'm keeping up your expectations.**


	20. Wait and See

**Disclaimer: Since the rights to Harry Potter will never be sold on ebay for $15, I will never own Harry Potter.**

* * *

Draco and I didn't look at each other as we took our seats again.

I was too busy having a mental debate with myself at how and why I could've possibly smelled mint, and Draco seemed to be lost in his own head as well.

But, it's not like we would've talked to each other anyway.

So the silence right now was acceptable and expected, and I wordlessly lifted the cauldron from by bag and placed it on the station in front of me. Draco did the same moments later.

Luckily Slughorn began talking, which ended the awkward silence.

"Amortentia will take two classes to make; this one, and we will finish when you come back on...Wednesday, I believe? So let's not waste any time, one partner from each station grab the ingredients from the ingredient closet," Slughorn clapped his hands together, an act that I noted he did a lot.

I saw Harry's hand go up, from the corner of my eye. "Professor, I haven't got the right book for this class, I wasn't sure if I would be allowed in."

"No matter, m'boy. There are extras in the back," Slughorn responded merrily.

Ron and I followed Harry's lead and walked towards the back to retrieve the books. There looked to be three left, one in good condition, and the others torn and tattered.

Before I could even step towards the cabinet, Harry and Ron burst forward, both fighting for the good book. Ron ended up with it, and clutched it to his chest possessively.

"Such gentleman," I said sarcastically as I pulled out the other old book.

When I got back to my seat and saw that Draco hadn't gotten any ingredients, I began to stare at him until he acknowledged me.

"Will you stop staring at me, Miro? It's creeping me out, especially in Defense Against the Dark Arts," Draco snapped, finally glaring at me.

"I wouldn't have looked if you didn't first," I retorted petulantly.

Draco scoffed loudly, "You're delusional."

"Maybe, but I still saw you," I shrugged. "Are you going to get the ingredients?" I asked.

"No," Draco said shortly.

"No?" I repeated, narrowing my eyes.

"You can do it," he said simply. I pinched the bridge of my nose before giving in and beginning to stand up. "But don't pick the wrong ones, you're rather good at that, you know – _picking the wrong things_," Draco added before I left.

It took all my power not to take out my wand and hex Draco. My murderous thoughts were interrupted, however, when I lightly walked into someone.

"Christina, good to see you!" Dean greeted in his signature loud voice.

I realized this was the first time I've seen him since term started...well, today.

"Dean, hey!" I smiled, patting him on the arm.

"Are you going up to get the ingredients? You want me just to pick them up for you?"

I gave Dean a grateful smile, but shook my head, "That's alright, Dean. I can get them."

"Well then, allow me to escort you to the ingredient closet, my lady," Dean said with mock politeness, holding out his arm.

I chuckled slightly as I took his arm, "Why thank you, good sir."

Once we reached the closet, we began to gather the necessary ingredients.

"Sitting with Malfoy? Must be a bummer," Dean observed, jumping up to reach the Ashwinder eggs.

"Spot on, my friend. Can you get me some too?" I asked, pointing towards the eggs. I would've never reached them myself, even with jumping. Dean had a good five inches on me.

"Of course," Dean jumped up again and grabbed me a jar of Ashwinder eggs as well. "I heard that you spent the summer at Malfoy Manor."

"Let me guess...Ron?" I chuckled, shaking my head slightly.

"You're right," Dean shrugged, "How was it, though? You still seem to be in working order, so you must've pulled through."

"It was as bad as you expect it to be," I replied simply.

"...that bad, huh?"

I laughed as I gathered the final ingredient in my arms, "Worse."

"So," Dean began, changing the subject, "You ready for the Quidditch season this year?"

I nodded enthusiastically as we exited the closet, "I'm really looking forward to it...tryouts should be interesting though. Harry's the new captain this year, so he gets to make the final calls. Thinking about trying out?" I asked, leaning against my station.

"Possibly, do you think I'd have a shot?"

"Well, can you fly decently?" I questioned.

"Yeah."

"Can you catch a ball and toss it into hoops?"

"I'm sure."

"Do you think you can do both at the same time?"

Dean seemed to ponder this. "I could try."

"Well, then I think you have as good a shot as anyone who can do those things. I would try out," I suggested.

Dean nodded, "I'll think about it."

"Great...hey Dean, do you mind tossing me some of your extra rose thorns? I forget to get some," I asked.

"Sure, no problem." Dean tossed me half of his stock and I caught it deftly, being careful of the thorns.

"Thanks! I'll see you in the common room later, yeah?"

Dean smiled, "Where else would I be?"

I turned around with a laugh and began to fix up the ingredients.

"You're awfully friendly with that Thomas boy," I heard Draco say from beside me, his tone sneering.

"He's my friend," I said harshly, turning to face Draco. "Why, you jealous?"

Draco laughed coldly, "I'm sure that's what you wish."

"Far from it, actually."

"So, should I expect to have my eyesight ruined if I see you two snogging?" Draco asked sarcastically.

"It _is_ possible for a girl and boy to only be friends, you know. Not that you'd understand, you don't have a wise selection of females to work with," I glared over to Pansy, who seemed to be running her mouth rather stupidly by the look on Ron's face.

"You're right, I probably wouldn't know. Maybe I just haven't found a decent female yet," Draco stared at me coldly.

"Ooh, you wound me," I clutched my chest sarcastically, before rolling my eyes and focusing back on the ingredients.

"Father wants me to find someone to keep the bloodline pure, that would definitely be one of the requirements. And to share my views, as well. Other than that, the rest is my choice."

"Really? I would've thought blond would be on the listen of necessary attributes," I muttered.

"Not mandatory, but preferable."

I suddenly felt a bit self-conscious of my long brown locks, but the feeling passed as quick as it came.

"Well, whenever you find her, let me know so I can send my condolences," I said as I furiously plucked four petals off the Belladonna flower. "Work on the dried peppermint," I instructed him, frustrated that he was just sitting there doing nothing.

"I don't take orders from blood traitors," Draco growled, but nonetheless grabbed the dried peppermint and began crushing it.

We worked for the next ten minutes in silence, and I moved onto breaking off the rose thorns.

"A woman and a man can't just be friends," I heard Draco say, stubbornly.

I turned to glare at him, "Of course they can, Malfoy. It's called a _platonic friendship_."

"And at least one of the pair wants a good shag."

I nearly threw up my rose thorns, and succeeded in pinching myself when I caught them again.

"_Bloody hell_," I seethed, holding my thumb in my other hand. Draco seemed fairly amused and continued to work on his dried peppermint without looking back to me.

"You alright, Christina?" I heard Dean ask from a station over.

"Yeah," I replied grumpily, "I just pinched myself on one of the rose thorns."

"Ouch. Suck on it and it'll feel better," Dean suggested.

"Thanks," I sighed, and felt for the chair to sit down again.

"I'm guessing that's not the first time he's said that to you?" Draco murmured softly from beside me.

And once I got his implied meaning, I missed the chair completely and fell onto the ground.

* * *

That night in the common room, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I sat by the fireplace, talking about nothing in particular.

We were fairly surprised, however, to see Dumbledore step through the portrait door and enter the common room.

"Good evening," he nodded. "I have spoken to Madame Pomfrey, and she has the potion ready to administer."

"So...we can go now?" Harry asked.

"Yes. If you would go and collect Mr. Longbottom and Miss. Weasley, we can be on our way."

"I'll get Ginny," I volunteered, and watched as Ron jumped up to get Neville. "Hey Ginny!" I called out once I entered the girls dormitory.

"Yeah?" Ginny asked, sticking her head from out of her bed canopy.

"Dumbledore's here...Madame Pomfrey's got the potion ready for us."

Seconds later Ginny was coming down the steps with me, and we were joined by Ron and Neville.

Dumbledore led us out of the common room, and I wasn't surprised to see Luna waiting outside the portrait.

"Hello," she said in her soft voice.

Once we reached the hospital wing, we saw that Madame Pomfrey was there to greet us.

"Does she know of the circumstances?" I asked Dumbledore quietly.

"She does not. And I would suggest to all of you to keep this between yourselves as well, for now," Dumbledore instructed, and we all nodded.

"I have seven batches here, Albus, like you asked," Madame Pomfrey motioned to a small tray on one of the bedside tables.

Dumbledore nodded thankfully, "Thank you, Poppy. And I'm sure they all are thankful for your help as well." Dumbledore looked at us expectantly.

"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey," we each said, almost in unison.

"You are welcome," she said, her uniform dress sweeping out as she swiftly walked to the tray. "Drink it the potion up quickly," she instructed. "You will feel a bit peculiar, but that will go away within the hour." She handed us each a class.

We all looked at each other, not wanting to be the first to drink.

"All together, then?" Ron suggested, holding up his glass. We all agreed and followed his actions. "Cheers."

We each drank the potion down in one swing.

Immediately I felt my mind start to go fuzzy. I had to lean on a nearby bed to keep from falling over, an action that was repeated by my six friends.

"I feel...weird," I heard Neville say, worry in his voice.

"Well I said that's what would happen, didn't I?" Madame Pomfrey said exasperatedly. "The side effects will go away soon."

"I feel like there's a pygmy puff inside my brain," Ginny complained, shaking her head. "It feels all fuzzy."

When Madame Pomfrey took our used glasses back to her supply closet, I turned to Dumbledore. "So, we won't have any more nightmares?"

"Only time will tell if the potion has worked. How often do you get nightmares?" Dumbledore questioned.

"I'd say for me, once every couple weeks," I replied, looking to my friends.

"Same goes for me," Neville, Ron, and Ginny agreed.

"Mine would be double that," Hermione relayed softly.

"I get mine once a month," Luna said.

Everyone looked to Harry.

"I get them often, twice a week, maybe," he shrugged.

Dumbledore nodded knowingly, "So you'll each have different waiting times to see if the potion actually worked."

"And what if it doesn't?" Hermione asked, a touch of fear in her voice.

Dumbledore sighed, "Then we will have to figure out another way to suppress them."

"Have you figured out why we are having them in the first place?" Ron asked.

"Not yet," Dumbledore replied honestly. "I have consulted my books, but right now I have no new answers."

Everyone nodded.

"We will just have to wait and see," Dumbledore finished.

It seemed like I was using that method for a lot of things.

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter, done! I hope you all enjoyed it! There are many things to come, so buckle in for a long journey. So R&R and most importantly ENJOY!**


	21. I Know You

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. And neither do you. Unless you happen to be J.K Rowling.**

* * *

Here I was, changing for the _second_ time this morning.

_I swear, I'm going to murder the git._

I had been in the Great Hall, eating my breakfast and minding my own business, and when I finished with my meal I stood up to leave...that's where the trouble started.

As I lifted myself off the bench, I felt a something hard against my back, and before I knew it, I was covered in pumpkin juice. I turned around harshly and noticed Draco's amused face...and an empty glass of pumpkin juice in his hand.

"_Malfoy_!" I shouted, my voice cracking from anger. That only made the surrounding Slytherins snicker more. "What the _hell_?"

Draco raised an eyebrow, while still chuckling with amusement, "Watch your tone, Miro. _You're_ the one who knocked into _me_."

"Oh yeah, and I'm sure your pumpkin juice literally went flying all over me because of that. There was no way you could've prevented that at all," I snapped sarcastically.

Draco's mouth twisted into a smirk, which I rarely saw nowadays.

Actually, he never really even _smiled_ at all lately.

Not that he was a big 'smiler' before, but still...

_Okay why am I worrying about him when he literally just poured pumpkin juice all over me?_

"Now I didn't say _that_, Miro. I just happened to be in the right place, at the right time. And you know when the opportunity strikes..."

And this was why I was up in my dorm changing clothes and cursing Malfoy's name.

By the time I was finished, I was nearly late for my first class of the day, Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. I raced towards the greenhouse and got into the class just in time.

"Where have you been?" Ron asked, curiously.

"Long, infuriating story," I mumbled, settling on a spot next to Harry at the table. Hermione wasn't in this class with us, but I could see Neville on the opposite side of the table.

"Hello class," Professor Sprout greeted. "This term we're going to be focusing on Venomous Tentacula and Snargaluff pods. Sounds interesting enough?"

Everyone in the class nodded.

"Very well," Professor Sprout went on with the lesson, but I focused on other things.

"Did either of you have a nightmare last night?" I asked Harry and Ron quietly.

"No," Ron replied, and Harry seconded that answer. "Did you?"

I shook my head, "No. So far so good, I guess?" I looked to Neville and got his attention. When he turned to face me, begrudgingly because he was completely engrossed with the lesson, I mouthed, "Nightmare?"

Neville shook his head and quickly turned back to the lesson.

The rest of the class went by slowly, and I could already tell that this would be a boring class. It's not like I didn't like Herbology, it was just that, well...I didn't like Herbology. I looked towards Neville who seemed to be almost disappointed that the class had ended.

Sometimes I just didn't get that boy.

* * *

I sat with Harry, Hermione, and Ron in our next class, Charms with the Ravenclaws, listening to Flitwick's distinct voice ramble on about our term's curriculum.

Most of the coursework would be focusing on casting nonverbal spells, which would be the basis for all our other classes.

We also would be turning water vinegar into wine, which seemed simple enough.

Flitwick also mentioned a certain spell that we would be learning; something called the 'Aguamenti Charm'. I had never heard of it, and it looked like neither had the rest of the class.

Flitwick seemed to sense the students' confusion. "Does anybody know what the Aguamenti Charm is?" he asked, curiously.

As expected, Hermione's hand flew in the air.

Seriously, that girl knew everything.

I could run a business on the betting of whether or not she'd know the answer to a question.

A light bulb went off in my head. That may be how I'll make my money...

Flitwick called on Hermione.

"The Aguamenti Charm, or The Water-Making Spell, is a charm that summons a jet of clear, pure water and shoots it from the tip of the caster's wand. Depending on the caster's focus and intent, this charm can be anything from a simple jet of water to a large wave," Hermione explained smartly.

"Very well said, twenty points to Gryffindor!" Flitwick said excitedly.

"Know-it-all," Ron muttered, and Hermione shot him a glare.

"I got us house points, when's the last time _you've_ done that? The better question would be – when's the last time you've _lost_ them?" Hermione snapped, and then turned back to Flitwick.

Hermione and Ron ignored each other for the rest of class.

* * *

As I was packing up my things and getting ready to head to lunch, Terry Boot, who I just noticed was in the class with us, jogged up to me.

"Hey Christina," he smiled, seemingly a bit more confident than the last time he talked to me.

"Hey Terry," I flashed him a bright smile as I collected my books into my arms.

"Here, allow me," Terry tried to take the books from me, but I shook my head.

"It's fine, Terry, I got them," I said, but gave him an appreciative glance.

I was so used to doing everything for myself, that even when it came to the simplest things, I still needed to do them independently if I was able to.

Terry suddenly became nervous, and I momentarily felt guilty.

_Is this because I didn't let him carry my books?_

I was just about to take him up on his offer to help him feel better when he spoke again.

"Christina...I...uh, was wondering if you'd like to join me at the Ravenclaw table for lunch?" Terry asked hopefully.

I was surprised. "Um..." I began, looking towards Hermione, Ron, and Harry who were waiting for me by the door. "I'd love to," I replied, glancing back to him. "Let me just tell my friends."

"Okay, great!" Terry said, sounding relieved. I sent him another small smile before scurrying over to my awaiting friends.

"Terry asked me to have lunch with him," I told them.

"What!" Hermione squealed, smiling accusatorily, "When did this happen?"

"Nothing is _happening_, Hermione. I'll talk to you about it later. But I'll see you guys in Divinations later, right?" I asked.

Harry and Ron nodded but Hermione made a face, "Not me."

I chuckled, "Oh, how could I forget? Anyway, I'll see you guys after," With that, I walked back to Terry who was standing next to the room entrance, looking rather nervous. "Ready?" I asked.

"Yes," Terry nodded, and we set off for the Great Hall.

Once we got our dishes of food, I sat down next to Terry at the Ravenclaw table. Many Ravenclaws looked at me curiously, and then to Terry, and I knew rumors would begin to transpire. But, what could you do? People were going to talk, whether it was true or false.

I saw Luna sitting by herself at the other end of the Ravenclaw table, and once she saw me, she gave me a small wave.

I waved her over quickly, hating that she was eating alone. She swiftly lifted up her plate and joined Terry and I.

"Why didn't you tell us you sit alone, Luna?" I asked her. "You can always come sit with us, at the Gryffindor table."

Luna smiled brightly, "I would like to sit with friends, thank you."

"So, how is Hogwarts so far?" I asked Terry and Luna.

"Brilliant," Luna answered simply, not elaborating her response.

I turned to Terry.

"It's going well, better than I imagined. I literally had to beg my parents to send me this year. You know, with all the You-Know-Who drama, they were scared for my safety. But Hogwarts is the safest place there is! I finally convinced them to let me come," Terry explained.

"Wow," I nodded, "Well, I'm glad you're here. Hogwarts is the safest place I know, too."

Terry smiled widely. "So, Quidditch season is going to be exciting this year?"

I gaped at him, "Are you on the Ravenclaw team?"

"Yeah, I've been the keeper since last year," Terry explained, and I immediately felt bad about not knowing, especially after he continued, "You're a chaser on the Gryffindor team, aren't you? I heard you're one of the best they've had in ages."

I blushed slightly at the compliment. "I don't think so," I shook my head. "Harry is the real star of the team."

"Well, I've seen you play, and you really are good," Terry insisted.

"Thanks," I mumbled, still blushing. "Luna, would you ever think about joining Quidditch?"

Luna scrunched up her face; she tended to do that while thinking, "No, I don't think so. Flying on a broom isn't necessarily a strong quality of mine, so I think I'd be more of a hindrance than a help."

"If you ever wanted to try out, Luna, all you have to do is talk to the Head of House. I'm sure you'd be great at Quidditch," Terry input.

Luna smiled at him kindly, "Not really, but thank you, Terry."

After we all had finished eating, Luna left the table to head for her next class, leaving Terry and I alone.

"Can I walk you to your next class?" Terry asked.

"I actually have break next," I replied, but that didn't deter Terry.

"No matter, I'll walk you to wherever you'd like to go."

"Won't that make you late for class?"

"No, it won't, I'm sure," Terry said reassuringly.

"Okay," I conceded, smiling, "I'm going to the library."

Terry and I walked in companionable silence, and stopped once we reached the entrance to the library. We stayed there for a couple seconds, unmoving.

"You better hurry before you're _actually_ late for class," I finally joked.

Terry laughed, and suddenly took a few steps towards me. I was so surprised that I nearly stepped back, but I luckily held myself firm. I felt one of his hands, which were surprisingly soft, brush against my left cheek as he pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. He quickly withdrew the contact though, and smiled at me sheepishly.

"I'll see you later?" he said in farewell, but I assumed it was more of a question.

"Yes, definitely," I nodded, and he smiled brightly before walking off down the corridor.

I entered the library smiling to myself, and greeted Irma Pince, the school's librarian. She knew me quite well due to all the times Hermione had dragged me here to study with her, or whenever Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I needed information for one of our many sneaky plans.

There weren't any books I was necessarily looking for; I just needed to pass the time until Divination. I strolled leisurely down one of the aisles and started to scan the books, looking for any that would serve as pleasure reading.

I was there for nearly ten minutes before spotting one, a book on owls and their history in the wizarding world. If I couldn't have an owl all of my own, I guess reading about them would be the next best thing.

When I pulled the book out, I had to stifle a scream, lest I get kicked out of the library for making too much noise.

Draco's face was immediately behind the book I pulled out, his icy blue eyes watching me calculatingly. "Hope you don't rashly pull out another book on contraception, Miro," Draco sneered, and my face flushed red with embarrassment. "You really thought I'd believe you? You never did tell me why you were in my room that day."

"Oh that's right, you _smelled_ me," I remembered, and I also remembered what followed...pushing him into the bookshelf...looking into his eyes...

_Okay how about we not go there?_

I shrugged, there was no use trying to hide it anymore, and what could Draco possibly do to me in the library with witnesses? "I used your owl," I admitted.

Draco's eyes immediately flared. "You _what_?"

"I needed to send important letters, and you refused to let me use Fane...so I needed to go about it my own way."

"You went against my direct orders, Miro!" Draco yelled, although still quietly.

"Oh well. Fane and I are mates now, so that's too bad."

Draco sighed explosively, "It's _my_ owl, and I will tell you when you _can_ or _cannot_ use him."

I rolled my eyes, not in the mood for his pathetic sense of inflated self-worth. I walked away from him without another word, and sat myself down at a library table, beginning to open up my book. I was surprised to see Draco sit down next to me, though I could still feel the anger radiating off him.

"You really are a heartbreaker, aren't you?"

Confused by his words, I placed the book down at glared at him, "What _are_ you talking about, Malfoy? Are you still going on about your owl?"

Draco gave me a look, "First you converse with Thomas, and now Terry Shoe from Ravenclaw? You can't make up your mind, can you?"

"His name is Terry _Boot_," I corrected sternly, before focusing on his other points. "And we're friends, there's nothing happening between us. But even if there was, why should that concern you?"

"It shouldn't," Draco stated plainly. "But you can call me curious. You seem to jump from boy to boy rather quickly, wouldn't you say?"

"I'm _friends_ with Dean, and I'm _friends_ with Terry. I'm not jumping from _anyone_."

"Doesn't seem that way to me...you were awfully affectionate outside the library," Draco murmured.

"You saw that? What, are you _spying_ on me or something?" I asked, furiously.

"I was in the area," Draco said evasively. "But I must say, Miro, I'm quite honestly surprised and appalled at your selection of mates."

"What exactly do you mean by _that_?"

"I mean you have fairly low standards."

I faltered a bit in my response – I definitely wasn't expecting that. "And what do you think my standards are?"

"They've got to be breathing, at least. And male. I think that's it, actually," Draco shrugged.

I clenched my jaw, "My love life should be none of your business."

"Maybe not, but I can still have an opinion."

"And I'd rather you keep it to yourself."

"And I'd rather _not_. We both know that you're selling yourself short," Draco said.

This conversation was getting weirder and weirder, but somehow I couldn't just walk away.

"Oh really?" I questioned harshly.

"None of your love interests seem to know _you_ at all. Let's face it; _I'm_ the only one who knows you through and through. Not even Potter, Weasel, or the mudblood knows you like I do," Draco glared at me strongly.

I almost fell off my library chair, shocked at where this conversation was going.

"What are you trying to say?"

Draco held up his hands slightly, "I'm not _trying_ to say anything. I'm merely _telling_ you. No matter who you give your loyalty too, you'll always have to remember that your _enemy_ knows things that they never will."

"Stop it, that's not true," I protested weakly.

"Is it? Well, you'll just have to see for yourself, but I know you'll come to realize it. You'll fight against it, but that's just who you are. Truthfully, I wouldn't have it any other way," Draco seemed to be finding some kind of twisted amusement in this.

If this was a new ploy to try to make my life as miserable as possible, this was the worst one yet. I got up from my chair and glared down at him.

"If what you're saying is true, than that means I know _you_ better than anyone else," I snapped, hoping to catch him off guard.

But Draco simply shrugged, "Perhaps you do," he began. "But there are things you don't know...things no one knows."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you telling me this?" I asked, at a loss for what to do.

"Why am I telling you the truth?"Draco questioned, rubbing his chin. "Amusement, I guess. I don't seem to find a lot of that anymore. Or lack of better things to do, maybe. Doesn't make my words any less true, though...but I can see you've already realized that by the look on your face," Draco sighed, tilting his head to the side. "I'm a bit disappointed though, Christina," I cringed slightly at his use of my first name, "I expected you to put up more of a fight."

"You know _nothing_," I spat, having heard enough.

"Ah – there it is."

"You're terrible, that much I understand. I want nothing to do with you!" I said, but I surely didn't feel the resolve I had hoped I would have behind the words.

"We both know that's a lie, Christina."

"If you don't want me to interfere with your choices, stop trying to influence mine! Just _stop_!" I almost pleaded, and looked at his long, emotionless face with confused desperation, "What happened to you?"

Draco stood up abruptly, and walked towards me. "I am destined for great things."

He looked me in the eyes for a couple more seconds before storming out of the library, without looking back.

I slowly made my way back over to the library table and sat down limply. My mind was numb with confusion, with my own thoughts as well as Draco's actions.

Whatever great things Draco meant couldn't possibly be great for anyone, himself included.

* * *

**A/N: Well...that was intense. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**Also, please pray and keep your thoughts with those affected by the Boston Marathon bombing. It makes me sincerely upset that the evil us writers create for entertainment can be found in real life. This world is disappointing. **


	22. Bad Aura

**Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER.**

* * *

I was on my way to Divination when Hermione seemingly appeared out of nowhere and crashed into me.

"Ooh, I'm sorry Christina. But I'm late!" Hermione had to catch her breath before she could speak.

"Where are you headed?" I asked once I regained my balance.

"Arithmancy. You?"

I visibly cringed, "Merlin, Arithmancy is the _worst_. I'm headed for Divination."

It was Hermione's turn to cringe, "What a woolly subject. Trelawney is mad!"

"She probably is, but Harry, Ron, and I decided that having another year of this subject on our records may help with becoming an Auror," I shrugged. "I think I'll manage to get through the year, we'll have to see. But if I start spewing out prophecies you have every right to give me an intervention," I joked.

"Christina, we're going to have to talk after – and actually we _do_ have things to discuss – but right now I _really_ have to go!" Hermione didn't wait for my response; she just took off down the corridor again like an escaped centaur.

I managed to get to the Divination classroom with no more run-ins. The first thing I noticed was that the classroom looked rather empty, there only appeared to be a handful of students.

Draco was among them, but he didn't make eye contact with me as he sat at one of the round tables with the few other Slytherins in the class.

The class was made up of mostly Gryffindors, and I saw Harry and Ron sharing one table, and then Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Fay Dunbar, and some ginger girl that I _still_ didn't know the name of. As I continued looking around the room, I noticed that Trelawney was nowhere to be found.

Even as the bell rang, we all remained teacher-less.

"Where's our all-knowing professor?" I asked, going over to sit with Ron and Harry.

"Probably focusing on her 'Inner Eye'," Ron said sarcastically, doing his best impression of Trelawney.

I laughed, but that laugh nearly turned into a shout when I heard a voice directly behind me.

"My name is Professor Trelawney," Trelawney drawled out behind me, her robes catching wind as she made her way to the front of the classroom.

"Where were you, professor?" Lavender asked curiously.

"I'll bet you your quill it has something to do with her 'Inner Eye'," I smirked towards Harry, eyeing his good quill. I had bought mine at the secondhand shop, and it seemed like it would fall apart at any moment.

"This is my best quill!" Harry protested, but eventually agreed a second before Trelawney gave an answer.

"I had to sit behind my curtain for a few moments...I found that the aura in this classroom clouded my Inner Eye," Trelawney explained, waving her hands aimlessly around her.

I looked expectantly to Harry and smiled slyly as he begrudgingly handed me his quill. I tossed him my old one, and gripped my new quill happily.

Trelawney was glancing around the classroom in a hurry, and she suddenly clutched her chest and began to breathe very heavily. "The aura in this classroom is much too strong. Rearrange yourselves – quickly!"

Everyone in the classroom looked at each other in confusion before slowly standing up and gathering their things.

I knew exactly who I was going to sit with...and who I needed answers from.

I walked directly up to the Slytherins and stopped in front of Draco.

"You're going to sit with me," I stated plainly, holding him under my stern glare.

Draco snarled, swiveling his body towards me, "I don't want to."

"Yeah, you do."

I grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him to follow me. He only got out of my grip when we reached an empty table close to the entrance of the classroom.

"Sit," I instructed, plopping myself down onto one of the chairs.

Draco glared at me coldly, "I told you, I don't take orders from _blood traitors_."

"Well, you're going to have to make an exception. _Sit_."

Though I could see Draco _really_ wanted to refuse and walk away, he slowly sat himself down, his body remaining very stiff and on guard.

Trelawney seemed much more at ease with these seating arrangements, as she practically floated around the classroom, giving an occasional sniff or narrow stare.

"So you have chosen to study Divination this year...all by your own choice..." Trelawney began, faltering slightly when she tripped over her own robes. "It is the most difficult of all magical arts, despite what others say. But I must warn you as I have done all the years prior, that some of you do not possess the right qualities to excel at this subject," She looked towards one of the Slytherins, stopping momentarily, and shook her head in dismay. "If you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field..."

I turned away from Trelawney as she began one of her crazy train speeches, and focused on Draco.

"So, do you want to explain to me what happened in the library?" I questioned, crossing my arms.

Draco rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair leisurely, "I was under the impression that I explained it quite clearly."

"You gave me an answer, but one that wasn't acceptable. Who gave you the right to say all of that rubbish to me?"

"It wasn't rubbish – it was the truth."

"Doesn't matter. What made you say it?"

"Have you gotten any answers from your precious Dumbledore yet?" Draco's subject change was so quick, and it caught me off-guard.

"Uh – no, not really," I said slowly and cautiously.

Draco seemed almost surprised by this, but didn't show it for long, "He knew _nothing_ about it?"

"No," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose – a movement I seemed to do often. "He has no idea, or even if he did, he hasn't told us."

I had no idea why I was telling him this – I should've still been grilling him about what happened at the library.

But somehow, I wanted to tell him about it. He _was_ there for me during my other nightmares.

I cringed because I realized again how right he was with his statements in the library.

He was there for me during one of the scariest times of my life, and he held me through it – literally. Well, also because I wouldn't let him go in my fear.

No one else had been there during it, just him. Though I knew that any of my friends would've helped me through it, they still weren't there.

Draco was looking at me with an unreadable expression throughout my thoughts. "Looks like Dumbledore isn't as intelligent as you make him out to be," he said eventually.

I pursed my lips in offense, "Dumbledore is the smartest man I know – and the best wizard."

Draco scoffed, "Think again."

Behind the haughtiness in his voice there was a touch of fear that I didn't miss.

"I will stand behind Dumbledore whatever the circumstance. I never doubt my loyalty to him. He does what's best and safest for others – unlike who _you_ put your loyalty in. You'll only end up a failure – or worse."

"_I will not fail_," Draco seethed – I seemed to have touched a sore topic.

"You will always fail when it comes to _him_," I said simply, hoping he would hear the disappointment in my voice and rethink his choices – though I was still unsure of what those choices were.

Draco and I sat in an uncomfortable silence for the next couple of minutes, until Draco sat up slightly and placed his folded hands on the table lightly. "So...Dumbledore. Did he manage to find a dream suppressing potion for you?"

I nodded carefully, "He gave me it last night."

I could've sworn I heard Draco murmur 'good', but it was probably just my imagination.

"I'll have to wait for a while to see if it actually worked," I paused, slightly. "Why do you care about this, anyway?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders casually, "I don't."

"Says the person who spent the night with me after one of my nightmares," I teased, fighting the smile that was trying to etch itself across my lips.

Draco pursed his lips, "You wouldn't let go of me."

"I'm sure you could've gotten away."

"You were fairly strong," Draco admitted.

I actually laughed, though I tried not to. "You don't say?" I questioned with amusement, but then narrowed my eyes. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

Draco suddenly looked uncomfortable and things got rather awkward. "I..." he began, going out of his way to avoid eye contact. "I – uh...well...I...um...I found a potion that could've helped...you know...but it seems like you have it already...so..."

I nearly snapped my quill in two – which would've been ironic.

"You..._what_?"

He couldn't have possibly said what he just said – it wasn't possible, nope, never.

"I just _told_ you," Draco grit his teeth, his annoyance clear. "I researched a potion, but you already have one...so it doesn't matter."

_Oh it matters a lot._

"Out of curiosity, what was the potion?" I asked, my mind still numb.

"Dreamless Sleep Potion – it's purple and used mostly for medicinal purposes. It induces a dreamless sleep in the drinker – like the name suggests," Draco explained, looking everywhere but me.

"I think that's the one Dumbledore gave us," I said, remembering that the potion I drank was purple. "You really actually looked for a potion for me?"

Draco finally glared at me and gave a distant look. "Well you _asked_ me to, didn't you?"

"Yeah...I just never expected you'd do it," I said honestly.

"Well I did," Draco stated simply, like the conversation was over, but he did add something else. "You should also take a Sleeping Draught due to your tendency to stay up anticipating a nightmare."

"Yeah you're right, I really – wait, how did you know I do that?" I questioned in surprise.

The bell rang abruptly, and without answering me, Draco grabbed his books and stepped away from the table.

Before leaving, however, Draco turned back to me and gave me a small smirk - which was increasingly rare nowadays.

"Like I said, Christina. I know you better than anyone."

* * *

"Christina you need to get up – _now_!"

I shot up from the couch in the common room, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and looking for Hermione, who had been the one to rudely awake me. I had fallen asleep after I came back from dinner, while I was staring at the fireplace and thinking about a certain Slytherin.

"You sleep like the dead!" Ron shook his head slightly. "For a while there we thought someone had given you Draught of Living Death."

"I wouldn't put it by some Slytherins," I chuckled. "What did you wake me for, anyway?"

"Did you forget it's Tuesday?" Harry asked incredulously. "We have Astronomy!"

I nearly slapped myself in the forehead. "That's _right_!"

I jumped up from the couch and ran to get my materials for the class. Once I joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione, we hurried to the Astronomy Tower.

The bell rang when we were halfway up the stairs, and when we finally reached the class, all eyes were on us.

"Sorry we're late, professor," Hermione shot me a stern glance. "It won't happen again."

"I would hope not. I will not give you any detentions now, but I will not be so lenient if it happens again," Professor Sinistra said, before turning to address the class again. She was a strict woman, and I was fairly surprised that she didn't outright give us detentions. Probably because she loves Hermione.

As Sinistra started to review a concept about stars we learned last year, I quickly located Draco amongst the Slytherin students. I was a bit surprised that he was here; he never seemed to really care about this subject at all.

In fact, I actually had no idea what he wanted to pursue as a job after Hogwarts. Next time we were being civil I'd have to ask him.

As Sinistra continued to drone on and on – in a voice that reminded me of the female version of Snape's – I felt Hermione pulling on my sleeve. We inconspicuously made our way to the back of the class, and I turned to Hermione expectantly.

"Shouldn't you be paying attention?" I scolded with mock sternness.

"This is repetitive. Don't you think I've been over this numerous times before? She should just get on with the new material," Hermione sighed with annoyance and anticipation.

"I see...so anyway, what's up?" I asked, seeing that Hermione was itching to say something.

"Okay Christina – you have to be honest with me now more than ever."

I chuckled with subtle amusement, "So you're saying that any other time I don't have to be that honest?"

Hermione gave me a pointed look, but it didn't last long as she nearly blurted out, "So I overheard Lavender and Parvati talking in the dorm, and they said that they saw you with Terry Boot outside the library – and that you two are going steady!"

I laughed casually, shaking my head. It was comical at how easily rumors could form and spread. "Hermione – no. We're friends, yes, and we may be starting to...I don't know...but for the time being it's just platonic. We'll see where it goes."

But that answer only seemed to spur Hermione on. "Christina!" she squealed. "This is the first boyfriend you've had since Zacharias Smith last year!"

"_Ugh_," I groaned loudly. "Don't remind me of him."

Hermione cringed, "Yeah, he wasn't a bundle of fun, was he?"

"I have no idea how I managed to last with him for _five months_. Next time you lot say a guy is bad – I'm gonna listen," I paused, thinking about another thing Hermione said. "And Terry is _not_ my boyfriend! I told you, we'll see where it goes. I say we stop providing commentary on my love life...what about you? Do you still fancy R-"

"Miss. Miro," I heard Professor Sinistra interrupt my last sentence. "If you're well-informed enough to talk during this lesson, than can you tell me how many moons Jupiter has?"

"Sixty-three known moons, professor," I replied meekly.

"Name them."

I gaped at Sinistra. "W-what?"

"Name all the moons," Sinistra repeated.

"But there are sixty-three...we'd be here for a while..."

"Then name the biggest four."

Okay, that I could manage. I racked my brain for what Sinistra taught us last year, because I _definitely_ hadn't been paying attention to her now.

"Um...Io...Europa...uh...Ganymede...and...er...oh Callisto!" I answered hopefully.

Sinistra looked mildly shocked. "Yes, that's right." She continued to stare at me, and I half expected her to give me detention, but then she just looked away and continued with the lesson. I gave a breath of relief. That went well.

I only tuned back into Sinistra's lesson when I heard her ask a question, "Does anyone know how to draw Jupiter's orbital pattern?"

Everyone except Hermione remained still and stiff.

"Nobody knows?" Sinistra mused, "Well then, we'll just have to have our expert on Jupiter draw it for us. Miss. Miro?"

I knew I wouldn't get off that easy.

I _did_ know Jupiter's orbital patter...and it was such a pain to draw.

_Could a fall off this Astronomy Tower kill me?_

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter - done! Thank you to all those who do review...you guys rock! Anyway, continue enjoying the story, it's so fun to write, and there are many good parts still to come! R&R! :D**


	23. Mercurial

**Disclaimer: I own a copy of the Harry Potter book series, but I don't own****_ Harry Potter._**

* * *

"Christina, go sit with Terry!" Hermione whispered into my ear as we entered the Great Hall the next morning.

"No, I-"

"No excuses!" Hermione said sharply. "I think he'll be good for you – now _go_!"

Hermione gave me a slight push, successfully steering me away from the Gryffindor table and to the Ravenclaw table. I thought about turning around, but as quickly as I wondered that, Terry spotted me and waved me over.

No turning back now.

"Hi Terry, do you mind if I sit here for breakfast?" I asked once I had reached where he was.

Terry's face lit up, "Of course!" He sounded incredibly amazed.

Quickly making room for me next to him, I plopped myself down and filled up my plate.

"Hi Christina," Luna's familiar voice greeted me from across the table, and I was glad that she found people to sit with – rather than all alone at the end of the table.

"Good morning, Luna," I smiled, waving at her slightly.

"So, are you two dating now?" Luna asked in that straightforward blunt way we've all gotten used to.

I took a sip of my pumpkin juice awkwardly, spying a quick glance at Terry.

"Ah – no," I began uncomfortably, "We're friends...right?"

Terry nodded enthusiastically, flashing me a charming smile, "Of course we're friends, Christina."

_He has a nice smile...it's genuine - unlike Draco's which is usually a sneer or smirk. If Draco smiled like this it would probably be – wait why am I thinking like this?_

I shook my head to get rid of my wandering thoughts.

"Would you like me to walk you to your next class?" Terry asked, once we finished our breakfast.

"Terry it's okay...you were probably last the last time you walked me someplace, and I wouldn't want to make you late again," I said.

Terry waved his hand, "I wasn't late then, and I won't be late now. What's your class?"

"Transfigurations."

"Hey – me too!" Terry smiled widely.

I nearly hit myself in the face – of course he was in the class with me, we just had it Monday. I completely forgot!

"Well in that case, it would be great for you to walk me to class," I chuckled.

We said goodbye to Luna and began heading towards our class.

"Would you like me to carry your books?" Terry asked once we were outside the Great Hall.

I flashed him a grateful smile, but shook my head, "I can carry them, Terry, but thanks."

Terry looked me over for a few moments. "You're very independent," he observed. "Why?"

A small voice in my head said '_Draco knows why_', but I ignored it instantaneously.

I simply shrugged, "That's just the way I am, I guess."

"And you're great just the way you are," Terry replied.

I forced a smile onto my face. _Learn everything about me and then say that. Draco knows..._

I was in the middle of mentally scolding myself for thinking of Draco when the man himself appeared in the hallway with his usual crew.

"Cozy, are we?" he sneered, looking between Terry and I coldly.

Terry immediately stepped in front of me to face Draco. The Slytherins behind Draco moved up closer, almost daring Terry to say something.

Sensing that there could be trouble, I moved from behind Terry and stopped directly in front of Draco. "Move along, Malfoy."

Draco's eyes flashed before he showed a look of amuesment, "Looks like Boot here needs a _Gryffindor_ to fight his battles for him. A _girl_ no less!" Draco turned back to his gang, which included Crabbe, Goyle, and Zambini. "I told you, all Ravenclaws are cowards."

I took personal offense to this, as one of my best friends was a Ravenclaw, Luna, and I had many other friends in Ravenclaw who were as brave as can be.

"I only see one coward here," I glare at Draco, before looking over his shoulder towards the other Slytherins. "Actually – make that _four_."

Draco took a threatening step forward, "You need to watch how you talk to your superiors, Miro."

"I hope you don't mean yourself," I scoffed.

Draco and I stared at each other for much longer than was considered necessary. But there was something in that glare – something carnal – that neither of us wanted to back down from.

After ten seconds – or ten minutes, I'd lost track – I felt Terry pulling on my sleeve.

"Christina, we're going to be late for Transfigurations," he whispered in my ear.

This contact broke my concentration on Draco, and I was able to pull away from his stare.

Before I could leave, however, I felt Draco's firm grasp encircle my wrist. "See you around, Miro."

And somehow, it sounded more like a threat than a farewell.

* * *

"Christina?" I heard Terry whisper from beside me as we sat in Transfigurations.

"Mhm?"

Terry swallowed nervously, before speaking, "I know about you and Malfoy."

My knees almost gave out beneath me, "W-what?" I stuttered.

_Wait – what the hell do I have to feel nervous about? There's nothing going on between Draco and I...right?_

"Well, that you both are enemies? I mean, the whole school knows about your feud," Terry explained, and my breathing went back to normal.

_Oh, that's what he's talking about._

I was about to ask him where he was going with this, but he spoke again.

"You both really seem to hate each other...why is that?" Terry asked.

"Aside from the obvious Slytherin/Gryffindor feud?" I joked, hoping to change the topic, but Terry wouldn't give up so easily.

"Well yes, that's obvious, but with you and Malfoy, it seems to go beyond that. Why?" he questioned curiously.

What could I tell him? Honestly, what started our feud in the first place? I took a moment to remember the first time we met...

* * *

_Our class of first years had just been brought to the doors of the Great Hall, where we saw McGonagall for the first time, waiting for us._

_"Welcome to Hogwarts. Now, in a few moments you will pass through these doors and join your classmates. But before you take your seats, you must be sorted into your houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Now while you're here your house will be like your family. Your triumphs will earn you points. Any rule breaking and you will lose points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup." She walked through the two big doors before promptly shutting them again._

_"It's true then, what they're saying on the train. Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts," A boy with a pointed jaw and slicked back platinum blond hair said, coming closer to Harry, Ron, and I._

_I met Harry on the train coming to Hogwarts, so we were on our way to becoming friends, and I had already met Ron in Diagon Alley that summer._

_I met Hermione too...but we definitely got off on the wrong foot._

_"I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy," The boy introduced, and Ron couldn't hold back a laugh. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask you yours. Red hair...and a hand me down robe? You must be a Weasley," Draco turned to Harry again after giving Ron another look of disgust. "You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter," He looked at Ron. "You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." Draco stuck his hand out._

_Harry looked at his hand, and back at Draco. "I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thanks," Harry said simply._

_Draco immediately retracted his hand. "You little blood traitor," he spat._

_"Hey take that back!" I shouted angrily, knowing the meaning of what he had said. There was no reason to use such language._

_I also recognized his name...Malfoy. My parents were friends with someone of that name._

_"C'mon Christina, he's not worth it," Ron started to pull me back. _

_Draco turned his eyes cold gaze to me, and a flicker of recognition hit him. "Christina Miro I presume? Yes, my parents told me about you. I didn't think you'd be fraternizing with the enemy. How disappointed will mommy and daddy be when my parents tell them?" Draco smirked, and it immediately made my blood boil._

_I lunged for him._

_I got a piece of his robes too, but Ron and Harry pulled me back quickly._

_"Down, kitty!" Draco laughed, brushing himself off, but I saw the nervousness in his eyes for a split second._

_By now his bodyguards, Crabbe and Goyle, we there in front of him, blocking any more potential attacks._

_And so, the war with a Malfoy had begun._

_"So you happen to be a blood traitor here like Potter," Draco rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What a disgrace to the pureblood name. Better hope you get sorted into Slytherin – your parents would be awfully disappointed in you."_

_I was about to dive at Malfoy a second time when McGonagall appeared before us again, leading us into the Great Hall._

* * *

Back in reality, I thought with contempt how lucky Draco was that McGonagall had shown up. I would've punched him in his stupid little face, and _no one_ would've stopped me.

I looked to Terry, to find him staring at me with confusion. I must've been silent for a while.

"Well," I began, just trying to find something to say. "It all comes down to a difference in ideals. We're on each side of the spectrum, and we're both too stubborn to give up our fight. That's really all I can say," I shrugged.

Terry nodded, but I could see that he still had some questions. He didn't ask, though, his knowledge to be respectable beat out his curiosity.

"Why don't you just ignore him?" he eventually asked.

"I try – believe me I try. But it just never works out," I answered, and luckily McGonagall's voice stopped me from having to answer any more questions.

* * *

I could literally hear the funeral music in the dungeons as I walked to the Potions classroom. Harry groaned from beside me, and I turned to look at him through narrow eyes.

"What are you annoyed about? Slughorn loves you!" I practically shouted. "To him, I'm just a disappointing reminder of how he _could've_ gotten close to the Miros."

"You'll be fine, Christina," Harry assured as he, Ron, and I walked into the classroom. I greeted Hermione and Dean as I walked to the station I shared with Draco.

"Hello, Christina."

I nearly jumped out of my own skin in surprise as Draco whispered in my ear.

I turned towards him sharply, "Malfoy," I nodded curtly. "What are you playing at?"

Draco shot me an innocent look – or as innocent as his face could get. "I'm not playing at anything. Can't I say hello to a friend?"

I scoffed loudly, "So we're _friends_ now?"

"Seeing as though we know so much about each other, _clearly_ we're more than enemies."

I visibly gaped at him, "You're mood swings are giving me whiplash, Malfoy."

He was as mercurial as ever – first cold and then civil. Would I ever get used to it?

I hoped not, because that would mean I was getting used to _him_. And we couldn't have that now could we?

Slughorn began the lesson and saved me from having to keep up this downright strange conversation with Draco.

"Now class, we will be finishing up the Amortentia today. Ah – you can see that each of your cauldrons are on the tables, and both partners will work together to complete this potion. Now you may begin! But I must warn you, do not get any on your skin, because you will feel the effects - only slightly less," Slughorn walked out from behind his desk to address the class. "It may seem simple to use Amortentia to get someone to fall in love with you, but remember, it will be false. There are other methods to find love, aren't I right Miss. Miro?"

As I heard Draco snickering beside me, I wanted nothing more than to bang my head repeatedly against the table in front of me.

* * *

**A/N: Okay you guys are AWESOME! The reviews I've gotten are so wonderful and make me incredibly happy. I feel like the hard work I'm putting into this is really appreciated! I've got many more surprises to come(: I would like to take this moment to explain how I characterize Draco, which some people have commented on. To me, he never was, or will be, solely good or solely evil. He is very mercurial, and that's how I try to show him. I will explain more on this as examples come up. R&R!:D**

**Also, keep those in Boston in your thoughts and hearts. As I watch the news, it makes me incredibly sad that such a despicable act has occurred. Thank you.**


	24. You Aint Seen Nothing Yet

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - no one has the genius like J.K Rowling.**

* * *

"She's maddening! Absolutely _maddening_!" Ron complained loudly as we sat down in the Great Hall for lunch. "Literally all I hear is '_That's wrong! You're so stupid! No, put that in there! I'm telling Draco what you said! You blood traitor!_' I can't take it anymore! Her voice is in a state of constant screech!" Ron viciously stabbed at his potatoes as he relived Potions with Pansy Parkinson.

"Trust me Ron – I could hear her," Harry pretended to clean out his ears. "I don't know how you did it, mate."

"I think even Malfoy looked like he was about to keel over from a burst eardrum," I laughed, throwing up a cherry and catching it in my mouth. "Haven't your brothers created invisible earplugs yet?"

Ron snickered, "You'll be the first to know when they do."

"So Christina," Hermione jumped into the conversation, "Has anything happened with Terry yet?"

Ron looked up abruptly, his voice muffled from all the food stuffed in his mouth, "Terry? Terry Boot? What's happened with him?"

"Nothing yet," I explained calmly, "Hermione's just making a mountain out of a molehill again."

"Something she's rather good at," Harry added, earning a stern tap from Hermione.

"I am _not_," she defended, "Her and Terry are spending a lot of time together."

"We're _friends_ – that's what friends _do_," I rolled my eyes.

Ron shrugged as he piled more food into his mouth, "Terry is alright I guess. Better than Zacharias, that is."

I groaned loudly and put my forehead against the table. "Do you _really_ need to bring that up? I already admitted my wrong doing; can we leave it at that?"

"But where would the fun in _that_ be?" Harry questioned good-humoredly.

"And besides, we told you he was a tosser – and you didn't listen," Ron raised his eyebrows.

"And I learned my lesson!" I groaned again.

Ah – Zacharias Smith. What he had in looks he lacked in personality.

He was a Hufflepuff in my year, and we had met in second year, but only started talking last year – big mistake.

At first he was charming, and I fancied him easily, despite the warnings Harry, Ron, and Hermione gave me.

But after dating him for five months, I just couldn't take it anymore.

He was selfish, rude, and just plain _boring_.

Lesson learned: Harry, Ron, and Hermione were always right...at least when it came to love interests.

"How did you end things with him, anyway?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Let's just say that there was a Bat-Bogey Hex involved," I snickered. "Remind to thank Ginny for teaching me it."

Hermione's eyes widened, "Christina! You hexed him?"

I held up my hands, "I was _trying_ to do it nicely, but he just wouldn't shut up – and then it just happened."

"Good one, Miro," Harry gave me a high-five.

"But now whenever he sees me he gets this really angry look and his face turns red," I laughed. "Maybe I should've just used a memory charm."

"Christina, that would've been _very_ wrong," Hermione scolded.

"What? I mean on _myself_. I just want to forget the wasted time I spent on him," I shook my head. It _was_ wasted time.

"Next time you find a boy, you'll have to run him by us. But for now, I approve of Terry," Hermione smiled.

"Okay, it's not like I'm not enjoying all this talk of boys – because believe me, _I so am_," Harry began sarcastically. "But we have Defense Against the Dark Arts in two minutes. Let's go."

Grabbing all of our books, we took off to D.A.D.A...with Snape.

And the Slytherins.

Once we reached the classroom, we took to our seats and waited silently until the bell rang.

"Take your seats," Snape's bland voice rang out from the front of the classroom, and everyone immediately sat down and shut up. "Today, we will be starting nonverbal spells."

With that, there was a quiet murmur of anticipation around the classroom.

"Can anyone tell me more about performing spells nonverbally?" Snape asked.

Hermione's hand shot up, which wasn't a shock, but Snape continued to look around the class, his face transforming into an expression of mock displeasure.

"No one? How disappointing."

"Professor, please. A nonverbal spell is performed without saying the incantation out loud. It's rather difficult and requires a good deal of practice. You must rely on concentration and mental discipline alone," Hermione answered confidently.

Snape turned towards Hermione quickly, "I do not recall asking you to answer my question, Miss. Granger. Your inability to keep your mouth shut will result in a week's worth of detention."

Hermione's shoulders slumped meekly, and I felt a new wave of hate for Snape.

Snape addressed the class again, "Practicing spells nonverbally takes immense concentration to perfect, and I can assure you that not everyone in this room will be able to accomplish it." Snape's gaze landed on us for a few moments, sending a clear message.

"I'm _definitely_ sure we'll never be up to his standards," Ron seethed. "Every time we do manage to produce good work, he raises the bar!"

Harry, Hermione, and I agreed with nods of our heads.

"Do you have something to say, Mr. Weasley?" Snape turned back to us in a flash; he obviously heard Ron's comments.

Ron blanched and began spluttering, "U-uh, n-no professor."

"Really?" Snape mused coldly. "I'd say...a week of detention for your unnecessary comments."

Ron groaned, and I couldn't keep my mouth shut, "But he didn't say anything!" I protested, and with a glare from Snape almost immediately added, "Professor."

"Talking out of line will earn you a week of detentions as well...and ten points from Gryffindor," Snape said, then turned to address the class again. "Does anyone else have anything to add?" No one spoke. "Excellent."

My jaw was clenched and I was silently seething. At least I would have Ron and Hermione in detention with me, anyway.

"For this lesson," Snape continued like nothing had happened, "I will split you up into partners and you will attempt to duel nonverbally."

All students began to whisper excitedly.

"The _only_ spell you will use is the Disarming Charm – _regretfully_," Snape muttered quietly, tossing us another glare. "I trust you all are aware of the charm?"

The class nodded.

"Good," Snape drawled, and began pairing students together.

I eventually ended up being partnered with Draco.

_Shock_.

One of the most well-known and talked about feuds in Hogwarts was between Draco and I. There wasn't a student or teacher who wasn't aware of the animosity between us.

The only other well-known feud was between Draco and _Harry_.

Snape happened to pick up on this fact, and frequently paired us up with each other whenever he saw fit.

Snape magically – and nonverbally – shifted the desks until they were against the far left wall, thus giving us access to the whole middle of the classroom.

"Find space, and begin," Snape instructed.

Draco and I looked at each other warily before settling by the wall on the right side, farther away from the other students, who all huddled in the middle.

"Malfoy," I greeted coolly.

"Miro," Draco said in much the same tone.

"So...shall we begin?"

Draco didn't answer; he merely held his wand in front of his face and bowed slightly.

I repeated the motion, and slipped into my dueling stance.

Immediately, Draco flicked his wand almost lazily, and my own wand flew out of my hand and into his.

"Nice dueling with you," Draco sneered, bowing again.

I gaped at him with astonishment, frozen in my place.

_That seemed...too easy for him. Like he already knew how to perform spells nonverbally. But...we're just learning this now?_

"Ah – I see you understand. It's written on your face," Draco began, twirling my wand in his hand smugly. "I already know how to perform spells nonverbally. With the rise of the Dark Lord, did you think my parents would want me to remain useless like you lot? No – I learned last year," Draco paused, examining my wand closely. "Fine wand you got here...what is it?" He started to feel the wand carefully. "Holly...twelve inch...what's inside?"

"Dragon heartstring," I replied, my voice a shocked whisper.

"Dragon heartstring?" Draco repeated, wonder in his voice. "Quite a fit for you," He suddenly tossed me back my wand and returned to his dueling position. "Come on Miro, I always thought you were a fine adversary. Don't let me down now!"

Feeling annoyance spread through my veins, I lifted my wand abruptly.

_Expelliamus!_

I shouted the incantation loudly in my head, but nothing happened.

Draco scoffed dramatically, and in the next moment I could feel my wand slipping out of my hand again. Draco caught it deftly, and gave me a haughty look. "You're not concentrating enough. _Focus your mind_," he instructed, throwing me back my wand.

I clenched my jaw strongly and lifted up my wand again.

_Expelliamus!_

Nothing.

"C'mon Miro, _feel_ it!" Draco taunted.

_Expelliamus!_

Still nothing.

"You're quite the disappointment," Draco sighed, and went to raise his wand.

My blood boiled. _I'm not a bloody disappointment! Expelliamus!_

And this time – it worked.

The shock on Draco's face was the icing on the cake as I caught his wand in my hand swiftly.

"So..." Draco began, looking me over. "You _can_ do it."

There was a challenge in his eyes, and I knew I wasn't going to back down.

I threw him his wand and got back into position. Channeling the anger in my body, I concentrated my mind.

_Expelliamus!_

Draco immediately cast a nonverbal shield charm, and subsequently flicked his wand towards me.

I was too slow and inexperienced to perform a nonverbal shield charm, so I was hit with his spell.

But it wasn't a Disarming Charm.

It was a Stunning Spell.

_If that's how we're going to play..._

I got up from the floor and snapped my arm forward.

_Stupefy!_

Draco cast a Shield Charm, but no matter – I nonverbally cast the Stunning Spell again.

This time he got hit directly in the chest, and stumbled backwards.

_Yes! This is the rush I've been missing all summer!_

Draco had the obvious edge – he was quicker, and definitely more experienced when it came to nonverbal spells.

But if I channeled the right amount of emotion and concentration, I was able to cast nonverbally too – just not as fast as Draco.

Draco sent another Stunning Spell my way, and I wasn't able to perform a Shield Charm in time, so I flung myself to the right, missing the spell by centimeters.

Draco and I were wholly consumed in this duel – it was what came naturally to us.

We cast spell after spell – ranging from the Disarming Charm to the Jelly-Legs Curse and everything in between, and before we even knew it, the bell sounded. Class was over.

Draco and I were both breathing heavily, sparks in each of our eyes.

_This_ was our element.

I hated to admit it – but I missed this.

Apparently neither Snape nor the rest of the class noticed our straying from the directions, because everyone shuffled out of the class quickly, headed for dinner.

I turned back to address Draco, who last I saw was standing opposite of me, but he was gone. He must've left with the class.

I was the last to gather my books and materials, and once I had, I walked out the classroom door and made my way to the Gryffindor common room, to prepare for dinner.

As I made my way through an empty corridor, however, I felt someone quickly grab my arm and pull me into an alcove.

My back was slammed against the wall roughly, and the first thing I noticed was a pair of icy eyes staring at me intently.

"Malfoy – what are you doing?" I whispered, still surprised by the sudden action.

"You felt it too, didn't you?" Draco asked suddenly, ignoring my question.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned, but I knew _exactly_ what he was talking about.

"Do you take me as an idiot, Miro?" Draco narrowed his eyes. "That duel was _nothing_," he began, his voice containing an excited edge. "We can have a _real_ duel."

I glared at him skeptically, "What do you mean?"

Draco's lips curled into a small smirk, and I could feel his breath fan out against my face – it still smelled of that same mint.

"Meet me at the Trophy Room – midnight," he instructed.

I raised one of my eyebrows, "How do I know it's not a trap?"

Draco's smirk widened, "Well, you'll just have to come to find out."

There was a flashing in his eyes – something _daring_ me to accept. And in that moment, I knew what my answer was.

"I'm in."

* * *

**A/N: Some things are definitely about to go down. Buckle your seat belts, ladies and gents! Thank you to all those who have reviewed - please keep doing so! Hope you enjoy this chapter and the many more to come...R&R :D**


	25. Midnight Excursions

**Disclaimer: I wonder if I could make Polyjuice Potion to transform into J.K Rowling...but until then, I don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

I could barely eat anything during dinner – I was too preoccupied with my ever-changing thoughts.

_Why_ had I agreed? This couldn't possibly be a good idea.

But Draco was right...I did feel something. And apparently, so did he.

But..._what_?

It was thrilling...exhilarating...so..._right_.

In dueling there had to be a connection – not just to your magic, but also to your opponent.

And somehow deep down inside I knew that Draco and I would have the strongest connection.

I was the strongest when I dueled with him. He made me better – _he pushed me to be better._

Of course, that wasn't his intention.

But with his taunts and jeers, I wanted to push myself to prove him wrong and give him an opponent he could see as a challenge.

I could feel a pair of eyes on me, bringing me out of my thoughts, so I slowly turned my head around and saw Draco staring at me intently. Once our eyes locked, a slight smirk appeared on his face, and I knew that this was his way of telling me to be ready.

"Earth to Christina!" Ron waved a hand in front of my face, breaking my staring contest with Draco. "You've barely touched your food, are you feeling alright?"

I blinked a couple of times, before responding, "Yeah, sorry. Guess I'm just not that hungry."

"Oh...can I have your treacle tart then?" Ron asked, already inching his hand forward.

I nodded, "Yeah, go ahead."

Ron happily took the pastry off my plate and stuffed it into his mouth.

Hermione glared at him, "You ate it whole! Can you chew your food?"

Ron went to reply, but bits of the treacle tart slipped out from behind his lips. He went in search of a napkin while Hermione shook her head disgustedly and turned to me.

"Are you really alright, Christina? It isn't like you to have no appetite," she spoke, her voice laced with worry.

"I'll tell you later," I mumbled, and attempted to swallow down a sip of my nettle tea.

* * *

"You're _what_?" Harry asked, standing from his place on the armchair. "You do remember what happened the last time Malfoy challenged Ron and I to a duel, right?"

_Oh – that's right._

In first year, Draco challenged Harry and Ron to have a wizard's duel with him and Crabbe.

Harry and Ron showed up – with me, Hermione, and Neville somehow tagging along – but Draco and Crabbe were no shows.

And then we almost got caught by Filch.

It was a setup.

"Yeah I remember," I conceded. "But it's just gonna be me and him this time...he seemed rather serious."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other uncertainly, but they knew I would go through with it.

"Can you at least take the invisibility cloak? So that way if things go wrong you can hide," Harry suggested.

I nodded, "Yeah, that seems like a good idea. Thanks."

Harry ran up to his dorm to retrieve the cloak, and I looked at the clock.

11:50pm.

I should be leaving now.

"Are you really sure about this?" Hermione asked as Harry returned and tossed me the cloak.

"You know Malfoy's a git – he won't fight fairly," Ron reminded me.

I shrugged, "Well, if he doesn't then neither will I," I put the cloak under my arm and headed towards the exit to the common room. "If I'm not back in an hour, come find me. We'll be in the Trophy Room." And with that, I left.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Hermione said softly, and Harry and Ron couldn't help but agree.

* * *

I reached the outside of the Trophy Room, and saw that I was completely alone. Still under the invisibility cloak, I sat down against the door and waited patiently.

About three minutes later, I felt another presence enter the corridor. I looked to my right from where I had come, and spotted familiar platinum blond hair, which was the only thing that stood out amongst the all black outfit Draco had on.

"Miro?" I heard him question in a breathless whisper.

Smirking to myself, I decided to have a little fun.

I crawled over to where Draco was standing and then...grabbed a hold of his leg and pulled.

Draco let out a _manly_ scream and kicked his leg out, narrowing missing my head. I was able to roll out of the way, and in the process the cloak fell off my body.

"_Miro_?" Draco seethed, glaring down at me.

I couldn't stop laughing, though I knew I had to be quiet. Holding my side, I tried to will the laughter away. "Yeah – it's me Malfoy," I said in between chuckles.

Draco was _not_ amused.

"Are we gonna duel or what?" he asked harshly.

My laughter began to die down, "I don't know...did you come alone?"

Draco gave me an 'are-you-stupid' look, "Does it _look_ like anyone is with me?"

"You Slytherins are pretty sneaky...and I wouldn't want to have a repeat of the 'duel' in first year," I shrugged.

Draco scoffed loudly, "Just get into the room before someone sees us...or _hears_ us."

I pursed my lips, "Then you need to stop making me laugh."

"Wasn't my fault – _you_ attacked me."

"_Attacked_?" I repeated incredulously. "Get your arse in the room and I'll show you _attacked_."

Draco unlocked the Trophy Room door quickly and we both slipped inside. I locked it behind us, and said a quiet silencing spell. Then I turned to face the room.

It was massive.

In crystal glass displays all across the room, awards, trophies, cups, plates, shields, statues, and medals were kept clean and shiny. Forgetting about Draco and the duel for a moment, I casually looked through all of the display cases. I stopped at one, which held plaques to those students who had done special services to the school. My heart nearly stopped beating when I came upon one award, with the clearly inscribed words _Tom Marvolo Riddle._

"Tom Marvolo Riddle," I heard Draco whisper beside me, making me flinch slightly.

"He isn't known by that name anymore, is he?" I almost chuckled, but the dark thoughts of a snakelike face and red eyes kept me from doing so.

"No, he's not," Draco's voice remained quiet, and he seemed to be pondering his own thoughts.

"I feel sorry for him," I began, my eyes not moving from the shimmering gold plaque. "He was so smart, so incredibly talented...he still is, too. He was raised with such mistrust in humanity. He's done terrible things to many people. I feel anger towards him - and sadness, frustration...but pity, too. He could've been a great wizard...but his heart is _cold_," I suddenly reached my hand out and placed it on Draco's chest, hovering above his heart – a move which surprised Draco. "You still have a heart," I mused, staring at the hand on his chest intently. "I can feel it beating underneath my fingers. But...how long until it isn't there anymore? Voldemort has your fear; he has your loyalty...how long before he takes this too?"

Draco shoved my hand away abruptly, "We came here to duel, I don't have to listen to your rubbish," He pushed away from the display cabinet and stopped in the middle of the room where there was an abundance of free space. "Get your wand," Draco ordered coldly.

I sighed deeply.

_He has a heart, but it's only a matter of time before he loses it. Why won't he just listen to me? This is wrong – he is wrong!_

"Fine then Malfoy," I spat, joining him in the middle of the room. "You wanna duel, let's duel!" I raised my wand, about to bow, when a sudden idea hit me. "But..." I began, smirking slightly, "How about we make this a _bit_ more interesting?"

Draco lowered his wand slowly, "What do you have in mind?" he asked cautiously.

"A bet."

"_A bet_?" he repeated, raising his eyebrows.

"Mhm. If I win _I_ get something, but if you win, _you_ get something."

Draco rubbed his chin thoughtfully, contemplating my proposal. "And what would the terms be?"

It was my turn to ponder. _This could work out to my benefit..._

"If I win, you have to tell me how you're involved with Voldemort," I said fiercely.

Draco nearly dropped his wand, "I'm n-not going t-to do t-that," he stuttered.

"That's my final offer."

Draco glared at me strongly for a few moments before asking, "And if I win?"

I shrugged, "Your choice."

Draco continued to look at me carefully. "If I win...you have to stay at the Malfoy Manor every break until school ends – including summer."

My eyes shot open. _I wouldn't be able to stand that hell for another minute! _"No!" I objected. "Your parents wouldn't let me stay there anyway!"

"Trust me, if they knew how unhappy you'd be, they'd practically welcome you with open arms," Draco sneered.

"No, I refuse."

Draco shrugged, "That's my final offer," he repeated my words back to me.

Before I refused again, I thought about my odds.

If I won, I'd have more of an idea of what Draco had gotten himself into...and that would be most beneficial.

But if I lost...I'd have to stay at the Malfoy Manor. The thought alone was giving me shivers.

"Would we be using verbal or nonverbal magic?" I asked.

"Your call," Draco said simply.

Hm. If we did nonverbal magic, Draco would have the obvious edge. He already mastered it last year, and I was just _beginning_ to learn it.

So I made up my mind.

"The only way I'll agree to this is if we both use verbal magic _only_," I finally spoke.

"I agree to your terms," Draco nodded.

"And no using the Unforgivables," I warned.

Draco gasped in mock shock, "Why Christina, what kind of a man do you take me for?"

I didn't answer his sarcastic question, I only raised my wand.

This duel would have even odds – we were both skilled in verbal spell casting.

"Scared, Miro?" Draco sneered, raising his wand in front of his face.

"You wish," I narrowed my eyes at him.

We quickly bowed and turned, walking to opposite ends of the room.

And then it began.

"_Expelliamus!_" I shouted, but Draco expertly raised a shield before it could hit him.

"_Stupefy!_" he cast a spell of his own, and momentarily forgetting to use magic, I dove to my right, landing just out of the way of the spell.

From the ground I lifted my wand, "_Avis,_" I muttered, and a flock of birds traveled out the tip of my wand. "_Oppugno!"_

The birds immediately flew straight to Draco, and he had to wave his arm to keep them from attacking. "_Confringo!_" he yelled with annoyance, and the offending birds around him _exploded_. "_Furnunculus!_"

I immediately erected a Shield Charm, and looked at Draco incredulously. "_Boils_? You were going to give me _boils_!"

Draco smirked slightly, "You attacked me with _birds_!"

"I've got worse than that! _Anteoculatia!_"

"_Protego_!" Draco shouted, followed by, "_Calvario!_"

I brought up a Shield Charm again. _He was going to make me bald! That git! _"_Stupefy_!"

Draco didn't erect a shield in time, and the spell hit into his chest, causing him to stumble backwards. Fury flashed through his eyes. "_Levicorpus_!"

I abruptly felt my feet give out from underneath me, and before I knew it, I was hanging upside down in midair. "Malfoy!" I seethed, desperately hanging onto my wand. "You think you're so clever, don't you?" I wanted to wipe off his stupid smirk.

"I _know_ I'm clever," he said smugly. "Give up?"

"Never – _Stupefy!_" I shouted, and once the spell hit the unsuspecting Draco, I was released from the air. I landed sharply on my side and groaned in pain.

_Bloody hell that hurt._

But I couldn't stay on the floor; Draco was already getting up again.

"_Stupefy_!" I shouted, but Draco dodged it and sent a spell towards me.

Nonverbally.

Whatever the spell was, it slashed across my arm and tore through my robes and a couple layers of skin. _Shit!_

"Malfoy, you said no nonverbal spells!" I cried.

"I lied," Draco said simply, and sent another spell my way. It hit my stomach and I was propelled backwards until I hit the wall. I crashed down to the floor and got up as quickly as I could.

This just got _real_ serious.

"_Everte Statum_!" I yelled, and watched as Draco flew backwards into one of the display cases, effectively shattering it.

He got up with relative ease, however, oblivious to the damage that was just caused. He flicked his wand and a jet of light came towards me, suddenly turning into a small tornado of sorts. I was so astonished by the sight that I didn't have time to cast a Shield Charm, and the spell knocked me backwards and into the display case, breaking it as well. I could feel glass cut into my arms and legs, but I was so focused on the duel that I hardly noticed.

"_Flipendo Tria!_" I cast, but Draco blocked the spell with a flick of his wand.

He sent another curse at me.

"_Protego_!" I said, followed by, "_Stupefy_!"

Draco was cast back into the wreckage of glass and metal. He struggled slightly in standing again, and when he turned to look at me, he had a split lip.

I momentarily felt a bit guilty, but that soon changed as he flicked his wand at me again.

Sharp pain exploded on my stomach, and I nearly toppled over from the impact. Touching my abdomen, I could feel four distinct gashes, not too deep, but deep enough to draw blood.

"_Rictusempra_!" I shouted.

Draco blocked it and sent another curse towards me.

"_Protego_! _Expelliamus_!"

Draco blocked and flicked his wrist again, and I suddenly felt a tight pressure wrap itself around my abdomen and pull me forward.

It was a rope.

My feet seemed to move by themselves and I only stopped when I was chest to chest with Draco.

We were both breathing heavily, and had injuries equal in severity. Nothing serious, but painful nonetheless.

Glaring into his eyes, I could tell that he was getting tired, and so was I. But I could also see a fierce determination to finish what we started, and I was sure he could see it in my eyes as well.

But as we stood there, gasping for breaths and staring into the other's eyes, something passed between us. Some kind of spark, and I could feel a tightening in my stomach that was _not_ from the rope. Draco seemed to be feeling the same way, as his eyes darkened slightly, and his gaze shifted over my lips.

"Do you want to finish what we started?" he whispered breathlessly, and for a moment I thought he was talking about something other than the duel. But I got my bearings straight, and I immediately freed myself from the rope and his hold.

"_Stupefy_!" I shouted, but Draco cast a spell at the same time, and both spells collided and then diminished.

Draco and I stood there for a few moments, just looking at each other, and the room filled with silence. There was glass, awards, and bits of robe everywhere, but neither of us brought ourselves to care.

As I finally raised my wand, Draco mimicked me.

Needing to end this duel now, I cast the strongest spell I knew.

I was entirely surprised when Draco cast the same one.

And then everything went black.

* * *

**A/N: Intense chapter. How are they going to get out of this one? Continue reading to find out...;D Again, thank you for all your reviews! They mean the world! You guys are AMAZING. Seriously! You don't know how much inspirartion you give me...enjoy the chapters! R&R :D**


	26. Stubborn and Infuriating

**Disclaimer: I own Christina Miro. I ****_don't_**** own Harry Potter. **

* * *

_"No, I'm sorry you can't see him right now."_

_ "I will tell her you came to visit."_

___"No, not today. Maybe tomorrow."_

Madame Pomfrey's voice entered my mind as I drifted in and out of consciousness. Every part of my body ached, and the only way to escape from it was sleep.

* * *

Finally the day came when the pain lessened.

I opened one eye and then the other, taking in my surroundings.

I was in the hospital wing – it appeared to be nighttime since the room was shrouded in darkness.

_Why am I here?_

Continuing to look around the room, I spotted another occupied bed, and from under the blankets saw a head of platinum blond hair.

Suddenly I remembered what happened.

The spell I had used on Draco was one of the strongest I knew – it was meant to break almost every bone in the human body. Thinking back now, I knew I shouldn't have used that spell. It was too dangerous, even if broken bones weren't a life-threatening injury. I had gotten so caught up in the moment. It really shocked me, though, when Draco used the _same_ spell on me.

Both spells must've intercepted each other somehow because not every bone in my body was broken.

I rolled over in the bed slightly, and groaned as my sore muscles ached with pain.

_How long have I been here?_

I needed to get up and walk around or else my body would be stiffer tomorrow.

As I slowly sat up in the bed, I carefully moved my legs until my feet were touching the floor. Gripping onto the bedside table for support, I began to gingerly pull myself out of the bed.

"You're going to fall."

I nearly dropped to the ground when I heard a soft voice coming from my right. Finding my balance again, I swiftly turned my head and saw Draco sitting up in his own bed, looking at me carefully.

I only scoffed at him and continued to heave myself up. Managing to straighten my body, I began to move one leg forward meticulously. But once I got my other leg moving, a sudden jolt of pain in my left hamstring caught me off-guard, and before I could grab anything for support, I crashed to the ground in a flurry of flailing arms and hospital gown.

_Craaaaaaaap._

"Told you."

Draco's nonchalant statement made me glare up at him in anger.

"Shut it," I warned, feeling for the bedside table to use as a method for pulling myself up.

"Do you need help?" Draco asked, a tone of amusement hidden within his voice.

"Not from you," I muttered petulantly, slowly pulling my body off the floor. But my tired arms couldn't hold me for long, and my grip on the end table loosened and I fell to the ground again.

"You _sure_ you don't need help?" he asked again, sarcastically.

"No," I ground out, attempting to lift myself again.

This process repeated itself three more times, but the end result was the same – I was still on the floor.

I heard Draco chuckling slightly, "This is getting pathetic," he shook his head while getting out of his bed with simple ease. Bending down slowly next to me, he took hold of my left arm and began to lift me.

I thought about pulling away and refusing his help, but I really didn't want to spend the night on the floor. So I followed his movements and let him pull me up until I was standing upright. He went to sit me down on my bed, but I held my feet firm and shook my head.

"I've been in this bed for Merlin knows how long – actually – exactly _how_ long have we been here?" I questioned.

"Three days," Draco shrugged. "You've been out for most of it, though."

"Three days? Hm, we really did a number on each other, huh?" I mumbled.

Draco scoffed, "I'd say _I_ did a bit more damage to _you_. At least I can walk alright."

I mockingly rolled my eyes. "You think this is because of you? My muscles are just stiff because I've been in bed for three days, dimwit!" Draco didn't respond, he only glared at me with annoyance. "And curiously – how come you seem so loose?"

"_Loose_?" Draco repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What exactly are you insinuating?"

I narrowed my eyes, my expression telling him to watch it. "Your muscles don't seem tense, why?"

"I guess I'm just stronger than you."

I sighed through my nose, almost like a bull. And right now, if I could kick my feet back and charge at Draco, I so totally would. I just needed the horns.

"I wouldn't bet on it," I muttered, but then threw him a curious look. "What made you use that certain spell in the first place, anyway?"

Draco shrugged indifferently, "It was the first thing that came to my mind."

"Is it the darkest spell you've ever used?" I asked innocently, because it surely was _mine_. I wouldn't dare use anything darker, or curses like the Unforgivables.

I could see Draco's face scrunch up for a moment before sliding back into his apathetic resolve. "No," he answered simply.

"I see," I nodded, my lips thinning. "Well, I think I'm going to try and walk around the room a bit – stretch my legs."

"You'll fall," Draco said like it was obvious.

It was my turn to shrug, "I don't think so – not if I hold onto something."

Draco's brows furrowed. "Have you forgotten the past five minutes, or is it just me?"

"Well that was then, and this is now. If I hold on I'll be okay."

"Are you a glutton for punishment? Just go to bed," Draco instructed with exasperation.

"No."

"Why?"

"I'm not tired."

"Then just lay down!"

I crossed my arms over my chest, "Don't tell me what to do."

Draco gawked at me as if I had grown three heads. "_Merlin_!" he shouted, throwing his arms up in the air with frustration. "Why are you so stubborn?"

"Because I'm dealing with an infuriating git," I shot back, giving him a pointed look.

We stared at each other for a couple moments in exasperation, both of us waiting for the other to relent.

Draco cracked first.

"_Fine_ – you wanna go on a walk? Let's go." He took hold of my arm lightly, in contrast to his hard voice, and began to lead me forward.

"What are you doing?" I asked, confused.

"Helping you walk," Draco stated, shooting me an annoyed glance.

"I can do it myself," I protested.

"No – _you can't_," Draco's grip on my arm tightened slightly. "Besides," he shrugged, "If Madame Pomfrey comes in tomorrow and sees you unconscious on the floor; _I'm_ going to get blamed."

"And the problem is...?" I couldn't keep myself from chuckling.

Draco gave me a sideways glare, "Don't push your luck, Miro. You're lucky I'm even helping you now...I could be _sleeping_."

"Like I said, you don't _have_ to help me."

Draco didn't reply to that, and remained silent as he looked forward. His hand moved up and down my arm carefully, trying to find a good grip to keep me upright, but every time I would stumble his grip would loosen again. I could tell he was getting frustrated. At me or the situation, I didn't know. Probably both.

One of my feet abruptly shuffled in front of the other, and I tripped forward. I could feel Draco's arm release my arm quickly, only to slip around my waist, keeping me standing.

His grip was tight, but it didn't hurt.

We paused momentarily, each regaining our footing. His left arm was still wrapped around my waist, with his hand splayed out across the left side of my abdomen.

I furiously tried to ignore the tingles sent through my spine because I knew they were _definitely_ not related to sore muscles.

"Alright?" Draco asked quietly, his arm remaining where it was. I nodded quickly, not finding the words to speak at the moment. Draco started to walk again and I followed, careful to watch my feet.

"You used nonverbal spells during our duel...you weren't supposed to," I accused.

Draco shrugged slightly, "Oh well."

I stopped suddenly and glared at him, "That was...not chivalrous at all!" I threw out the first expression that came to my mind.

"I never claimed to be...now will you shut your mouth? I will drop you if you stop walking again."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "You are such a-"

"Git?" Draco questioned. "So you've told me."

I clenched my jaw and murmured profanities under my breath, but started walking again.

"Potter was here earlier today – along with Weasel and the mudblood," Draco said eventually.

"You know their names, Malfoy. Use them," I warned, before acknowledging his second point. "They came to visit me?"

Draco looked at me strangely, "If you doubt that they would visit you, you're definitely not as close as I thought you four were."

"No that's not it," I shook my head, brushing off his comment. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were my closest friends. We were family. "I just don't remember them coming, that's all."

"Well, it's not surprising seeing as you were sleeping the whole time," Draco murmured. "Though, they did give me an earful." His face twisted with scorn.

I chuckled lightly, I had a feeling they would do that. But I knew I wasn't off the hook, either.

"Yeah, that sounds like them. I'll probably get the same lecture – just with less hate and animosity," I laughed.

"They wouldn't stop talking! I had a right mind to go over to your bed and _force_ you awake. Your bloody friends are just lucky I didn't have my wand with me...I would have no qualms using a silencing spell on them – or worse."

I opened my mouth to scold him when one of his previous comments hit me like the Hogwarts Express. "Wait – why didn't you have your wand?"

Draco's eyebrows shot up in slight amusement, "Madame Pomfrey confiscated it. She took yours, too. I was wondering when you'd notice...I thought that would be the first thing you asked for."

I looked at him with alarm, "Why does she have our wands?"

Draco shrugged, the amusement now clear on his face, "Probably for our safety. Based on our track record – and yesterday's display – she knows I can hurt you rather badly using my wand."

"And I can hurt you _worse_," I snapped. "Even without my wand."

Draco laughed openly at this, "Oh _really_?"

"Yes, _really_," I grit my teeth.

Draco suddenly released his grip from my waist and I shot down towards the floor. I hadn't realized, but I had rested most of my weight on Draco, and with his presence gone, I had no support to keep myself upright. Before I hit the floor, however, Draco's arm snaked back around my waist and pulled me to him gently, repeating our earlier position. It happened in the blink of an eye, but it felt like minutes.

"You're very _frightening_," Draco sneered, and I could feel my face growing red.

"I've just had my bones regrown, you've caught me on a bad day," I quipped sarcastically. "Try me in a couple days."

I turned my face forward again, and I unexpectedly felt Draco's face swoop down until it was pressed in the crook of my neck, his mouth at my ear.

"You say you're not scared of me, which we both know is a mistake, but I'm not afraid of you either, Christina," Draco whispered every syllable clearly and concisely, his hot breath traveling down my neck, and my hospital gown suddenly felt excessively tight. I was even more horrified when my body visibly shivered. The action didn't go unnoticed by Draco. "Cold?" he asked, his tone laced with amusement.

I sealed my mouth shut, not trusting myself to speak.

Undeterred by my silence, I could almost feel Draco smirking at my ear. "Or perhaps you are..._hot_."

I nearly jumped from his grip, almost falling over in the process. I could faintly hear Draco laughing.

"Okay, I think it's time for bed," Draco said, leading me back to my bed. I climbed in gently and continued to stare at Draco with my scrutinizing gaze while he got into his own bed.

"You were...laughing," I commented, falling onto my back and turning my gaze to the ceiling. "Why don't you laugh anymore?"

"I always laugh – when it's at your expense," Draco replied mockingly.

I shook my head earnestly, "No – you always sneer, mock, snicker, scoff...and you laugh, if only sometimes. I actually haven't seen you genuinely laugh more than ten times in the entire time I've known you. But since...since when you went off with my father and yours, you don't laugh or smile _at all_ anymore."

Draco's expression faltered as he turned onto his back as well, looking up. "Things change," he said evasively, not caring to explain.

We both were immersed in silence for a few minutes, not knowing what to say.

"So...who won the duel?" I eventually questioned, honestly curious.

"I would say me, but I don't think you'll attest to that," Draco sighed.

"Now that's _rubbish_ – I think I won," I protested, sending him a pointed glare.

"Doubtful," Draco said, "I guess we'll have to call it a draw."

I was unexpectedly disappointed, "So, we'll have a rematch?"

Draco turned onto his side and looked at me with faint amusement, "_Rematch_?" Draco repeated incredulously. "Christina, I think you'll need to recover from the _last_ duel we had before we can have a rematch."

I rolled my eyes, "I _know_ that, Malfoy," I snapped harshly. "What happens with the bet, then?"

Draco rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Our bet, huh? As much as it disappoints me, I think neither of us gets to reap in the rewards."

"What if we both gave each other a _part_ of our bet?" I asked.

_Gosh, am I that desperate that I would spend time at the Malfoy Manor...willingly?_

Draco looked slightly taken aback by my offer, "So, you'd stay at the Manor for some time, in exchange for information?" He wanted confirmation.

I thought about it for a couple seconds, weighing the pros and cons.

All in all, although there were many cons, _believe me_, the pros were worth it.

"Yes," I finally responded, looking him directly in the eyes.

Draco nodded, before smirking slightly. "I'd say...no deal. Goodnight, Christina." He flopped onto his back and covered himself in his sheets, leaving me sitting there open-mouthed.

_Stupid...bloody...infuriating...git!_

"I hate you, Malfoy," I seethed, falling down onto my back as well.

I heard him chuckle darkly, "Glad to see _some_ things don't change."

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was mainly interaction between Draco and Christina - but I didn't think you guys would mind :D Now, I want to give a special shoutout to all those who have reviewed, because honestly, you guys are the GREATEST! Thanks to xXMizz Alec VolturixX, chaansan, Potterhead313, Snipe Hunter 98, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, all the Guests, Megan, Nicky-Maree, Sasha, oXxgeorgiaxXo, misslagear, Notsilveraura, , Alice-Ann Wonderland, and StoryWriter23. You guys are the reason I continue to update daily and work hard! R&R :DDDD Also, your thoughts on possibly a Draco POV chapter?**


	27. You Gotta Mean It

**Disclaimer: I own a couple of things...but not Harry Potter. **

* * *

_"I told you boys that nothing good could come from this."_

_ "Mione, we agreed with you."_

_ "Wait look – she's waking up."_

I opened my eyes slowly and took in three blurry forms beside my bed. "Herms? Ron? Harry?" I asked groggily, trying to rub the sleepiness from my eyes.

"Yes," Hermione said tersely, and I knew I wasn't going to get out of a scolding.

_Come on Herms, give me some time, I just woke up!_

But I wasn't so lucky.

"What _were_ you thinking? I knew this was going to end badly, I just knew it. It always does with Malfoy!" I saw her look past me to something beyond my bed.

"Don't look at me like that, _mudblood_," I heard Draco snap from the bed beside me.

"Shut it, Malfoy," Both Harry and Ron said in unison, reminding me of Fred and George.

Hermione ignored his comment however, and looked sharply back at me. "I just cannot believe you. You were quite lucky that we followed your directions and came within the hour! You were both just there – unconscious. The Trophy Room was absolutely destroyed! It took us nearly half an hour to clean it up!"

"You used magic, right?" I asked, just making sure.

"Of course we did...we have common sense – unlike _some_ people," Hermione quipped.

I rolled my eyes, "How did I get here then?"

"We took you _both_ here, Christina. Madame Pomfrey already knew why when she saw your injuries. I suspect Dumbledore is waiting to see you both when you're better," Hermione said.

I groaned. That's right, this wasn't the first time Draco and I had put each other in the hospital wing for dueling.

_Looks like Madame Pomfrey won't believe the 'we both slipped and fell' excuse._

Hermione opened her mouth to continue her lecture, "You could've been badly hurt, Christina. What would've happened if we _hadn't_ come? You probably would've just gotten up and started to duel again. You wouldn't have come to the infirmary! Madame Pomfrey had to regrow some of your _bones_! I just can't believe you right now," Hermione shook her head with frustration, and I let out a groan from her continued scolding.

"It's alright Christina, Hermione's just worried is all," Ron said, and Hermione scoffed.

"It seems like you got Malfoy good, though," Harry smiled wryly.

"She wishes," Draco said from his bed.

"Shut it, Malfoy," the four of us retorted.

* * *

"So Miss. Miro, you're finally awake?" Madame Pomfrey exited her office and stood at the foot of my bed.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron had left about an hour ago to go to lunch, leaving me alone with Draco in the infirmary.

"Yes, and I'm rather hungry...got any food?" I asked with nonchalance.

Madame Pomfrey pursed her lips. "I have a safe assumption of what events occurred between you and Mr. Malfoy, but I would like to hear it from your own mouth," she began, and when I opened my mouth to speak, she held up her hand. "And do not give me the excuse 'the spell accidently slipped out of my mouth and my wand happened to be pointed at Draco' again...or any of your other ludicrous fabrications."

I almost cowered under her withering stare. Madame Pomfrey could be quite scary when she wanted to be.

"I...uh..." No words came. There was no possible way to get out of this.

"We had a duel," I heard Draco say from his bed.

_Or we can just go with that._

"It isn't the first time, is it? Miro got on my nerves, and you can imagine the rest," Draco continued simply.

Madame Pomfrey narrowed her eyes. "Very well then," She nodded stiffly, and turned back to me. "After you are through with eating, Miss. Miro, you and Mr. Malfoy will need to go to the Headmaster's office."

My shoulders slumped...that was expected. But hey – at least I'd get to eat first.

* * *

Draco and I walked down the corridors together, but a safe distance apart. I was a bit nervous going to see Dumbledore, but catching a look at Draco, he didn't appear to be nervous at all.

Before we left the infirmary, Madame Pomfrey had given us another small lecture as she returned our wands. It felt relieving to feel the familiar wood in my hand, and I pocketed it quickly.

Draco and I stopped in front of the statue leading to Dumbledore's office, and before I had a chance to say the password, the statue began to move, beckoning us to follow.

When we faced Dumbledore's door, I reluctantly raised my hand and knocked a couple times. From inside, we heard a voice say 'come in', so Draco and I pulled open the door and walked into the office slowly. As I stepped in, I noticed Dumbledore sitting at his desk, hands folded and eyes twinkling. We made our way to the two chairs set up in front of his desk and sat down.

"So, Mr. Malfoy and Miss. Miro, what did you do this time?" Dumbledore's voice was slightly amused; he obviously was no stranger to the fact that Draco and I fought...a lot. I started to feel some of my anxiety melt away. He didn't look _too_ upset.

I shifted in my seat, finally looking up to meet Dumbledore's eyes. "Well..."

* * *

During my explanation of the duel, leaving out _some_ parts, Dumbledore's expression never changed. He never grew angry or frustrated, he just seemed ambivalent. But I was still unsure of what his reaction might be, since cursing other students is usually frowned upon.

As I finished the story, Dumbledore regarded Draco and I carefully.

"I see..." Dumbledore began, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. "I am grateful that you two did not cause any serious damage, both to yourselves and the Trophy Room," I bit my lip guiltily, but waited for Dumbledore to continue, "Dueling with other students in someplace other than a supervised setting or classroom is unacceptable. You will each receive three weeks' worth of detention, I should say. I hope that you will not make a pattern of this kind of behavior this year, although I know you two didn't really mean to put each other in the infirmary."

"Wait, what do you mean 'you two didn't really mean to put each other in the infirmary'? Of course I meant it," Draco said somewhat angrily, leaning forward in his chair.

_Merlin Draco, swallow your pride for two seconds! We're lucky we aren't expelled!_

"If you say so, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said in a comforting tone, though it was clear he didn't believe what Draco was saying. "Is there anything else you two have to say?"

"No, Headmaster," I shook my head. Dumbledore turned to Draco, who hadn't said a word. Draco looked up slightly, catching Dumbledore's gaze, and a scowl broke across his lips.

"I understand," he said shortly, before looking away again.

Dumbledore eyed Draco carefully for a few more seconds before sitting back in his chair. "Okay, you both are free to go. I believe it's dinner time."

"Thank you," I said graciously, before following Draco out the door.

Once we reached the corridor again, I whipped my head to face Draco. "Okay Malfoy, you wanna tell me what the bloody hell that was about?" I questioned harshly.

Draco gave me a look but continued walking. "That fool thinks I didn't really mean it...of course I meant it!"

"You couldn't have just agreed for the sake of getting lesser punishment? I mean _come on_!"

"Whatever," Draco mumbled, and turned his head away from me again.

As we walked, I noticed that Draco didn't leave my side to head for his common room. "Is there a reason you're following me, Malfoy?" I asked, annoyed.

"I'm going to the Great Hall for dinner, same as you," he snapped, not even looking at me.

"Whatever," I repeated his earlier sentiments, and we ignored each other the whole way to the Great Hall.

Once we reached our destination, every head in the Great Hall turned towards us.

Silence filled the room.

_I'm guessing everyone knows what happened..._

Seemingly unfazed by all the attention, Draco pushed passed me and made his way to the Slytherin table. His group of friends acknowledged him, but didn't seem to say more than a couple polite greetings.

I got the same treatment from Hermione upon reaching the Gryffindor table.

"Aw, c'mon Herms! You're still upset with me?" I observed as I filled my plate with a couple pieces of fruit. I wasn't really that hungry since I ate before.

"Yes," Hermione replied tartly, refusing to look at me.

"Look, I'm all better. All my bones are mended and I'm feeling fine," I tried to reason with her.

"There's no changing her mind, Christina," Ron mumbled, shoveling down some potatoes. "You know when she's set on something, she's as stubborn as a hippogriff."

"Yeah I know," I shrugged, but cowered slightly after receiving a look from Hermione.

"You need to promise me that you will not duel with Malfoy anymore," Hermione said sharply, her eyes blazing.

I bit my lip before nodding, "Okay, okay. Got it."

Hermione's demeanor immediately shifted, and she seemed more at ease now.

I looked towards Harry who mouthed, "Really?"

Letting out a silent chuckle; I shook my head before mouthing, "Never."

* * *

Later that night in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione, Ron, Harry, and I sat around the fireplace doing what we normally did on a Saturday night; enjoy quality time together.

"You missed Charms on Friday! Seamus practically blew up the place when he tried the new spell," Ron pointed out.

"You would think that after five years he would _stop_ doing that?" Harry chuckled.

"If there was ever a time for an Anti-Explosion Charm, it would be when he's around," I input, causing the four of us to burst into a fit of laughter.

"Would you lot shut up?" Seamus himself walked into the common room, followed closely by Dean Thomas.

We burst into more laughter, and even Seamus had to crack a smile, albeit small. He knew the teasing was friendly and not meant to offend him.

"And Christina?" he continued, causing my laughter to die down and turn to him. "You've got that Ravenclaw Terry Boot out there asking for ya."

I closed my eyes, waiting for Hermione's reaction.

She squealed, expectantly, and dragged me up. "Get out there!" she smiled while pushing me towards the common room entrance.

"Hermione you're rather excited about this...it's a bit frightening, really," I said, holding onto the common room doorframe.

"I just want to see you happy, Christina – _now go_!"

I stopped resisting and practically flew out of the common room, knocking into the awaiting Terry.

"Sorry about that," I mumbled, fixing my clothes self-consciously. "Seamus said you wanted to see me?"

It was Terry's turn to shuffle self-consciously. "I just wanted to see you to...well...to see you. To see how you're feeling? I heard that you were in the hospital wing for a couple days."

I chuckled, "That I was. But thank you Terry, I'm top notch, now."

"Well you look great," Terry said, but paused suddenly, "Not that you don't always look great, I mean...uh..."

I had to save him from saying anymore, "Terry, I got it. Thank you," I smiled graciously, patting him on the shoulder.

"Would you like to take a walk with me before curfew starts?" Terry asked hopefully.

I bit my lip, internally contemplating his offer. After I while I inwardly shrugged. "Why not?" I smiled, letting him lead the way. "So, how much did I miss in Transfigurations?" I eventually asked as we walked the corridor.

"Not a lot...but I'll help you study if you want? I missed you in class," Terry spoke, and I blushed slightly.

"I honestly missed going to class. _I know _– crazy, right? But it was boring just being in a hospital bed all day," I sighed, folding my arms loosely across my chest. "So how have _you_ been these past few days?"

Terry shrugged, "Alright I guess. I've gotten a couple letters from my parents."

My interest peaked; I didn't really know anything about his family.

"And what did they have to say?" I asked.

"The usual...to be careful and everything...and to do well in class," Terry's tone seemed almost melancholy, which surprised me.

"You don't really sound too happy about that?" I observed.

"I mean, I miss them, and it's great when they owl me...but they put so much pressure on me," Terry began, shaking his head slightly.

I didn't push for an explanation; I knew that if he wanted to talk, he'd talk.

"I have an older brother, you know? He finished last year. He was a prefect, got all Outstanding on his O.W.L.s...and it's just tough to live up to his legacy. But that's what my parents want me to do. It's all '_but your brother did this, your brother did that_', and it gets tiring trying to be someone instead of yourself," Terry stopped walking suddenly, "I know I'm probably not making much sense, but it's how I feel. Do you understand?"

"No Terry, I understand you," I nodded. "All I can say is to just be yourself. Do what you want to do, live up to your _own_ expectations. I think you're great!" I smiled brightly, hoping to cheer him up.

Terry smiled as well. "Thank you Christina. You're a great friend," he said sincerely, and I suddenly felt his hand cupping my cheek. "And maybe..." he began in a whisper, and his face inched slightly towards mine.

I made no move towards or away from Terry. All I could do was stare as he got closer and closer.

Finally, I let my eyes begin to flutter shut, expecting pressure on my lips at any second...

"Hey!"

A voice at the end of the corridor made me jump up and away from Terry, and the source of the voice only made me groan in annoyance.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" I questioned as he came closer.

"I _happen_ to be a prefect...I'm making rounds. What are you _two_ doing here?" He gave a pointed glance towards Terry, which he returned.

"We were taking a walk, but it's certainly none of _your_ business," I pursed my lips in agitation.

Draco's eyes flashed angrily, "Curfew is in five minutes. I suggest that you both head to your dormitories."

"Okay," Terry cut in, turning to me. "I'll walk you back."

"I don't think so. If you don't start going to your common room you will be late, and I can _guarantee_ that you will get detention," Draco flashed a wicked smirk as his eyes traveled to me. "I will take Christina to her common room."

I didn't know what worried me the most; his smirk, his offer to walk me to the common room, or his calling me by my first name.

_Can I say all of the above?_

Terry gazed suspiciously at Draco for a few moments before reluctantly conceding. He couldn't argue with Draco – a prefect.

"Fine," he snapped, but his gaze softened when he looked at me. Putting his hand on my shoulder, he whispered, "I'll see you tomorrow?"

I smiled meekly and merely nodded back.

After I watched his back retreat down the hallway, I turned to Draco and our eyes locked.

"Well, if you insist on walking me back to my dorm, let's go then," I said shortly, turning on my heel and heading back down the corridor. Draco appeared at my side moments later, and neither of us said anything for a couple minutes.

"You're getting quite intimate with Boot," Draco murmured eventually.

I swiftly turned my head towards him, "Maybe, maybe not. But it's still none of your business."

Draco sighed deeply, before looking at me accusatorily, "You shouldn't lead him on."

My eyes narrowed, "I'm not leading him onto _anything_."

Draco rolled his eyes, "Clearly the boy has _feelings_ for you, for some reason. And you do nothing to fight his advances."

"And what if I want him to make advances?" I quipped abruptly, but mentally realized that I said it more so to get a rise of out Draco, not because I actually meant it.

The comment seemed to have its intended effect, as Draco's nostrils flared and his eyes darkened. "We both know that's a lie, Christina."

Something in my stomach started to twist, but I suppressed the feeling. "You don't know what you're talking about," I retorted firmly, and started to walk faster, trying to get rid of him.

"Tell yourself that all you want...but we both know what's in your heart," Draco called from behind me.

I stopped and whirled towards him angrily, "What are you trying to say, Draco? Please tell me because you're not making any sense!"

"You can try to deny it, you can try to find things to occupy yourself with, but when it all comes down to it, you know the answer," Draco explained calmly, which just made me angrier.

"You've gone nuts!" I shouted, and turned back to head into the common room, which was a few feet away, when I felt Draco grab my wrist and pull me to him.

Moments later I was up against the wall, which was becoming a familiar position when Draco was around.

"You are fighting it," he whispered breathlessly, staring at me intensely.

I was so intently focused on his icy eyes that when he moved his face to the crook of my neck I almost missed them.

My legs almost gave out when I felt Draco's lips press against my neck lightly, and the only thing that kept me upright was Draco's grip around my waist.

"I know your mind..." he whispered suddenly, while trailing his lips up my neck, leaving a path of tingles in its wake. "I know your heart..." he continued, and I had to bite down on my lip _hard_ to keep myself from making a sound that would've been quite embarrassing.

_Why am I not pushing him away?_

My brain was on a ranting spree, but my body was saying something else _entirely_.

My neck felt like a bundle of electric nerves, and when Draco moved his lips over my jaw, I nearly combusted.

"I know your wants..." Draco repeated his motions over my jaw; getting closer and closer to my mouth "I know you, _Christina_..." he lifted his lips from my face and stared down at me. We both stayed there for a couple moments, silently inspecting each other.

I shocked myself when _I_ started to move my lips forward.

The electricity around us was as thick as fog, and I needed to know if this was the cause. I needed to confirm my suspicions.

Draco's smug expression vanished suddenly as he saw me moving forward. What replaced it was almost...innocence. Uncertainty even.

And as I began to taste the familiar mint enter the air around me, the entrance to the common room opened.

"Christina are you – _MERLIN_!" Hermione shouted loudly, covering her mouth with both hands.

Draco and I both quickly released each other, and he sped down the hallway towards the dungeons without a second glance. I merely rested my head back against the wall and let out the groan I had been holding, but this time it was with more annoyance rather than pleasure. I chanced a peek at Hermione, who still stood in the same position, looking paler than Ron when he barfed slugs in second year.

_How in the world am I going to explain this?_

* * *

**A/N: Thought you guys needed a bit more tension between Christina and Draco...you guys deserve it! There's more of that to come, certainly. But thank you to all my reviewers! You guys are the absolute best, and like I said, you guys are the ones that motivate me to write this :DD Also, this is the longest chapter yet...yay!**_  
_


	28. Bet On It

**Disclaimer: Let's consult my magic 8 ball...do I own Harry Potter, magic 8 ball? Hm...it says no.**

* * *

"_CHRISTINA THERESA MIRO_!"

I hid my head underneath my bed covers as I heard Hermione's outraged voice enter the dorm.

Merlin this wasn't going to be good.

"_CHRISTINA_!"

Nope not good at all.

"Christina, explain yourself right now!" Hermione was absolutely livid.

Time to face the music.

I slowly pulled down the blankets and caught sight of Hermione's fuming face.

"What did I just walk into? You and Malfoy were all over each other!" Hermione shrieked.

I bit my lip. "It's not exactly like that." _Well, crap it's almost exactly like that._

Hermione's arms were crossed over her chest and her foot was tapping impatiently, waiting for me to explain.

"Well..." I began, desperately looking for a way out of this situation.

"Are you and Malfoy...?" Hermione couldn't even finish her question, shock evident in her voice.

"No," I replied quickly. "I mean...I don't think so..."

This answer didn't seem to appease Hermione.

"Have you been hit with a Confundus Charm or something? How could you get involved with _Malfoy_?"

I swallowed nervously, "I'm not involved with him, Herms!"

"Well it sure seemed that way to me. I'm really beginning to question your choices, Christina," Hermione shook her head.

I sighed explosively, "Hermione, I'm just as confused as you are, okay? Can you please stop being a stern mother and revert back into my best friend?" I needed someone to talk to, and Hermione's scolding was just making things worse.

Hermione seemed to sense my change in demeanor. She slowly walked over to my bed and sat down on the edge. Our roommates were still sleeping, luckily, so we had to keep our voices down.

"Christina," Hermione said, gazing at me carefully, "Is there something you need to talk about?"

I put my hands over my face, rubbing with agitation. "Yes...no...I guess...just don't say anything until I'm done speaking...please. I need to get this off my chest."

Hermione looked slightly concerned, but nodded in affirmation.

"Okay," I blew out the breath I had been holding. "Well...there's something about Draco," Hermione seemed slightly taken aback by my use of his first name, but kept her mouth shut. "We have this connection to each other. It's confusing and unclear, but I feel it. And so does he. I mean, I _think_ I hate him. Actually, I _know_ I do. But during the course of time, something has been growing...I'm sure not sure what it is. Draco understands me completely. He knows my parents; he's lived through what I have, although we've each come out on opposite sides of the war. But I feel this connection with him that makes me feel...alive. And I'm so confused, Hermione. I don't know what to do. I don't know what he wants! I'm caught between a rock and a hard place." I was staring at the wall behind Hermione's head during my whole speech, and I couldn't find the guts to look her in the eyes after I was done.

Hermione remained silent for a few moments, before she suddenly shrieked, "What!"

"Sh!" I whispered, looking over to our roommates. "I didn't bloody fall in love with the guy! That's just how I feel...I think..."

"So, you're saying that you...fancy him?" Hermione asked with obvious confusion.

"No, I'm saying that I guess after hating each other for so long, all the tension turned into something...well, more," I explained.

"More?" she questioned, not following.

Merlin, she wasn't getting it. "Sexual tension, Herms," I put it bluntly.

Hermione got rather red, "Uh...well...Ginny...she knows more about that...you know. I'm still not really _getting_ it. You know I'm not good with this kind of stuff! The only experience I've ever had was with Viktor Krum in fourth year and that wasn't even anything major! You need to talk to Ginny...we'll tell her tomorrow, okay? Just don't do anything stupid until then."

After contemplating for a few seconds, I eventually nodded. "Okay," I agreed. She was taking this better than I thought she would.

"Now, it's late, and don't you have a big day tomorrow?" Hermione got up from my bed and made her way towards her own.

My hand shot to my forehead. Tomorrow was Sunday! Quidditch tryouts!

"That's right!" I nearly shouted. "In that case, I need to be well rested. Night, Herms!"

I placed my head on the pillow, but despite my enthusiasm, I couldn't get myself to fall asleep.

And this time it wasn't because of the nightmares.

* * *

"QUIDDITCH TRYOUTS ARE TODAY!"

My shouting could be heard far and wide across Hogwarts.

I had been waiting for this all summer. I couldn't wait to start Quidditch.

The only problem was that we had three empty first string positions to fill – two beaters and a keeper.

That on its own may not seem like a problem, but from what I've heard, mostly first years were trying out...and most of them couldn't fly.

We'll have to see where this goes.

I made my way to the Great Hall to have some breakfast before tryouts. There were many students already there, which was strange because it was a Sunday, and normally students slept in.

Once I noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione walk into the Great Hall, I waved at them excitedly.

Ron rolled his eyes at my exuberance, "_Nobody_ let her have caffeine today," he instructed seriously, earning a few chuckles from Harry and Hermione.

"Quidditch tryouts today!" I nearly shouted when they reached the table. "Excited, Harry?"

"Nervous is more like it – did you _see_ who is going to be trying out?" Harry questioned, buttering a roll quickly. "I mean, how many first years are going to be _that_ good?"

"You were _that_ good," I reminded him.

"Yeah, well that was _me_," Harry explained like it was the obvious answer.

Hermione smacked him on the arm, "Control your ego," she said sternly, before turning to Ron. "Ron is trying out, as well."

I almost dropped my glass of pumpkin juice, "Ron! What position are you going for?"

"Keeper," Ron replied, shrugging slightly. "Thought I might be good there."

I scrunched up my face, "I heard Cormac McLaggen is going for that position too...and he seems fairly skilled. But – we have complete faith in you Ron. Right Harry?"

"Right," Harry agreed, giving the now pale looking Ron an encouraging pat on the back.

"Right...well...thanks..." Ron stammered, pushing his plate of food away.

* * *

"Hello – all of you," Harry addressed the crowd of Gryffindors that had gathered in the Quidditch pitch for the tryouts. Ginny, Katie Bell, and I – the only ones currently on the team – stood beside Harry, observing our could be teammates. Harry continued, "Thank you for showing up and coming to tryout. Each position will have its own tryouts. The positions open are two beaters and a keeper. Though, if you don't have the qualifications to excel at those positions, you may be added on the second string for any position. That's up to you. Now, can the beaters begin?"

Most of the students stepping up were first years, but I groaned with frustration when my eyes fell on Romilda Vane and her group of friends clumsily making their way forward, giggling loudly.

It was no secret that Romilda had her eye on Harry. She found any opportunity to be close to him and _took it_.

"Hey Harry," I heard her call out flirtatiously. "Can you show me the proper position on this broom?"

Harry rolled his eyes slightly and went to respond, but Ginny piped in before he could.

"If you don't know how to ride a broom then you _obviously_ shouldn't be here," Ginny said sternly, and Romilda scowled at her before turning back to her friends and giggling some more.

"How pathetic," Ginny mumbled, coming over to me.

I shook my head, "And we'll see even more pathetic when she tries to actually _play_."

Ginny burst into a fit of laughter, and I soon joined her. At least we'd get some entertainment today.

The tryouts for beater began, and like I guessed, most of the first years were rather...terrible. One of them actually fell off their brooms in midair, but luckily weren't far off the ground.

Romilda and her friends spent more time screaming, giggling, or flirting with Harry than actually flying. I genuinely thought at one point Ginny would throw the quaffle at her.

Luckily for Romilda tryouts ended, and after discussing it with Harry, we chose two new beaters, Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote.

"Up next...keeper tryouts!" Harry shouted, and a new group of students stepped forward, among them Ron and Cormac.

"You'll be great Ron," I encouraged him quietly, giving him a reassuring pat on the back.

"Yeah...great..." Ron's voice wavered. He definitely didn't sound like he'd do too great.

Harry, Ginny, Katie, and I flew up in the air to aid in this tryout. We began tossing the quaffle to each other, and then would try to score at either Ron's or Cormac's goal.

Each boy played very well, though I could see the nervousness in Ron, and the extreme confidence in Cormac.

But finally, Cormac slipped up.

He had a look of confusion on his face as the quaffle went straight passed him, going through the goal.

And then tryouts ended.

Ron was made keeper, with Cormac on the second string.

Now that tryouts were over, we decided that we would use the field to practice with our new team.

The practice part was a bit touchy, though.

Every other House had had their tryouts at a different part of the field, and they all looked to have the same game plan as us. Sensing trouble, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs began to exit the field; they would be happy to wait until they could book the field.

But now the upcoming fight would be between Gryffindor and Slytherin - who else?

Each team began to gather in the center of the field. Holding my broom, I walked to the middle of the field with my fellow Gryffindors before stopping and looking the Slytherins over.

My eyes stopped on Marcus Flint, and I felt pure hatred for him travel through my body. I didn't forget what happened over the summer. I would have my revenge.

But Marcus didn't seem too upset by my glares, he instead smirked and threw me a large wink.

_Merlin give me the strength to not strangle him._

I looked away from Marcus quickly and waited in silence for someone to speak.

Not surprisingly, Draco cleared his throat before stepping forward.

"Slytherins get the field today. You'll just have to find some other way to 'practice'," he said simply.

The familiar urge to curse Draco flared inside me, and I stepped forward as well.

"And why is that, Malfoy?" I questioned.

"Because Slytherin is obviously the best team."

I raised my eyebrow with annoyance. "I say Gryffindors get the field since _we're_ obviously the best team. We could kick Slytherin's arse any day."

Draco smirked and said scathingly, "Talk about aiming for the impossible."

"I say we have a game between the Slytherin and Gryffindor - winner gets the field and losers have to walk around in their underwear!"

A voice yelled loudly from the back of the crowd. Surely it was to be taken in jest, but suddenly others around the field began to laugh and cheer in agreement.

_UH WAIT NO. I DON'T EVEN HAVE MY NICE LOOKING PANTIES ON._

Each team stayed silent, until Flint stepped forward confidently, "We accept the challenge."

I glanced towards Ginny and Katie in horror; and expression mirrored on their faces.

Surely we could beat the Slytherins, but did we really want to bet this much?

Turning to Harry, I gave him a look that said 'your call'.

He seemed to deliberate for a couple moments before adopting a steely resolve. "I say we do it!" he murmured to us. "Who wouldn't want to see those gits walk around in their underwear?"

Perhaps not the best choice of words, since all the girls in the school would probably want to see the muscular, toned, and in some cases attractive males of the Slytherin Quidditch team in their underwear. Draco the most. Every girl, no matter their House, would be foolish to deny that Draco Malfoy was one of the most attractive boys at Hogwarts.

Sadly, his personality didn't quite make the package complete.

Harry turned towards the Slytherins quickly, "And we accept too."

Okay, so there were two reasons why I wanted to win.

One, because beating Slytherin at anything was always great and ego boosting.

And _two_, a tiny part of me wanted to see Draco in nothing but his underwear.

Was he a boxer or briefs kind of guy?

_I needed to know_ – for uh, research or whatever...

Students around the pitch quickly heard about the bet between the two teams and came out to enjoy the spectacle of whichever team lost.

The stands were soon full with students, all cheering for either Slytherin or Gryffindor.

Apparently, the teachers hadn't heard of what was at stake if we lost, since no one had come forward to try and stop the game.

A referee and commentator were selected from the crowd, both being from Ravenclaw and therefore neutral.

Now, knowing the Slytherins' record for being trustworthy, we decided that we'd make a contract that everyone would have to sign.

Well, actually Hermione made it, with all her infinite knowledge on all things magical.

"I still think this is a bad idea," she muttered as she finished the last of the contract.

"Me too...but there's no going back now," I shrugged.

Hermione held the contract out in front of both teams, "This contract says that whichever team loses will have to walk around in their underwear for ten minutes. If that team doesn't, they'll get covered with boils, lose all their hair, and speak in gibberish for a week."

Each team, being fairly confident, signed the contract without a problem.

As Draco walked by me, he stopped for a second and whispered so quietly that only I could hear him. "Looks like I'm going to see you in your underwear, Miro."

I tilted my head towards his ear and smirked in much the same way he had, "Don't get your hopes up."

Draco quickly stepped away and then disappeared into the mass of Slytherins as I thought about our chances of winning.

It depended a lot on Harry - if he caught the snitch before Draco, that pretty much sealed the odds in our favor. Harry was a fantastic seeker and I had complete faith in him.

Draco was honestly a good Seeker as well, but not quite at Harry's level.

When both teams were ready, it was time.

* * *

**A/N: I know I'm such a jerk for cutting off here, but we need _some_ cliffhangers, right? Right? ...right? Anyway, reviwers! Like I say all the time, you guys are the best! I'll give another shout out in the next chapter.**


	29. Quidditch

**Disclaimer: I dreamed and dream in time gone by...when hope was high and I owned Harry Potter... (but I really don't own Harry Potter)**

* * *

The two opposing teams were on either side of the Quidditch pitch.

"Are you feeling confident?" Ginny asked from my side.

"I wish I could say yes, but not with these stakes," I scoped out the pitch. "But I trust Harry's ability to catch the snitch."

"So do I," Hermione, who was standing with the Gryffindors on the field, firmly agreed.

"Me too," Ginny nodded.

I smirked slightly, "I would hope _you_ would, of all people."

Ginny blushed as red as her hair for a moment, before narrowing her eyes. "Zip it, Miro! _You_ believe in him too."

"Yeah, but not like _you_ do," I snickered, and Ginny elbowed me in the side.

"Hey, hey! Do you want me to have to sit out? We gotta win this game!"

We turned back to our team and saw Katie Bell doing a couple warm ups, and beyond her was Harry and Ron.

Harry looked relatively calm, given the circumstance, but Ron looked nearly green.

I could faintly hear him saying, "I just got on the team and now we face this? I can't do it mate, I just can't." His voice appeared to go up three octaves.

"Ron, you'll be fine. You need to calm down and _focus_! Do you want everyone to see you in your underwear?" Harry questioned.

Ron shook his head furiously, but looked sullen as Harry plopped his helmet onto his head and then walked to us.

"He's too bloody nervous," Harry said as he came by Ginny, Hermione, and I.

"Will he be able to play?" Ginny asked, looking over to her brother with concern.

"Yeah – I don't know how well, though."

"Once he gets into the game, he'll be okay. Ron is like that. Sometimes he lets his nerves get to him, but when he lets that go, he's the best," I said firmly.

Now Hermione seemed to get nervous. "Are you all _sure_ about this? I know that you would love to beat the Slytherins, but you know how they play. You have nothing to prove...we all know you're the best!"

"I think we all have our minds made up, Herms," Harry said. "And if the Slytherins play dirty, so will we."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Hermione shook her head.

I couldn't help but let out a laugh. "You have a bad feeling about _everything_, Herms."

"And I'm usually right!" she said, indignantly.

"_Usually_? Just _usually_?" Ginny quipped sarcastically, and we all started to laugh.

"Are you idiots gonna just stand there, or are we gonna play some Quidditch?" Marcus Flint shouted towards us.

I feigned shock, "Flint? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you have graduated already?"

Harry, Hermione, and Ginny started to snicker quietly, and Marcus' face grew dark.

"You're gonna wish you never said that, Miro," he threatened, before turning his gaze to the still laughing Hermione. "No mudbloods on the field," he snarled.

Immediately, there was an uproar through the Gryffindors on the field.

"I suggest you shut your trap, Flint, until you control your brain to mouth function," Harry said seriously, standing in front of Hermione protectively.

"And learn a new vocabulary," I added. "Yours is getting a bit old and overused...quite the opposite of that head of yours, though."

Flint started to step forward quickly towards us, but some of his teammates pulled him back.

"This isn't over," he muttered darkly before he turned back to his fellow Slytherins.

I turned back as well and checked on Hermione. "You okay?" I asked.

She nodded stiffly. "Yes, I am. But maybe you shouldn't goad him right before you play, Christina. He has a tendency to get quite aggressive," Hermione pointed out.

"On and off the field, I assure you," I chuckled slightly, "But I'm not afraid of him. And whatever happens, my teammates have my back, right?"

"You got it," Harry nodded firmly.

When we saw the appointed referee, a Ravenclaw named Jackson, approach the middle of the field with the box of Quidditch balls, each team joined him and Hermione scurried towards the stands.

We all got into position, and I stood firmly on my feet, waiting to push off.

Draco stood directly in front of me, and we locked eyes.

His face slowly transformed into a smirk. "I hope you're ready."

A smirk graced my face as well as I said, "I'm _always_ ready."

Draco raised his eyebrows, "Don't make empty promises, Christina."

Before I could even begin to ponder Draco's statement, Jackson released the snitch from its straps, and it flew passed my head and disappeared into thin air, or so it seemed to me.

_Honestly, how do Harry and Draco even see that thing?_

With the quaffle ready to be thrown up and his hand on the button to release the bludger, the stands grew quiet and everyone waited with bated breath.

And after sitting in uneasy silence for no more than five seconds, Jackson blew the whistle, released the bludger, and threw the quaffle high up into the air.

And the game began!

I shot up into the air and watched as Ginny caught the quaffle. I sped towards the Slytherin's hoops and deftly caught the quaffle when Ginny threw it to me moments later. Flying at almost full speed, I dodged and avoided the oncoming Slytherins as I got closer and closer to the opposing hoops.

And when I finally made to score, the Slytherin's keeper, Miles Bletchley, swooped in from the left and caught the quaffle before it went through.

_Crap!_

"Try again next time, Miro!" Bletchley shouted, before tossing the quaffle to Flint.

Giving Bletchley one last glare, I zoomed forward to try and catch up with Flint.

Flint was moving fast, and when Ginny tried to push into him to obtain the quaffle, he pushed back so roughly she nearly fell off her broom.

During my route to Flint, the bludger rushed passed my head, and I had to do a near backflip to avoid hitting it.

"Jimmy! Ritchie! Watch the bludger!" I called out to our two new teammates, who then immediately became on guard.

Flint was now heading towards Ron, and seconds later threw the ball into the hoops.

It went passed Ron, and the Slytherins scored.

Ron's face looked discouraged, but after a few words with Ginny, who had hovered beside him, he seemed to regain a bit of confidence.

It was Gryffindor's ball now, and Katie had the quaffle tucked safely under her arm. I flew forward to an open part of the pitch, but before Katie could deliver the ball to me, Flint crashed into her roughly and stole the quaffle. Katie spun on her broom and had to tighten her hold to escape falling off of it.

"Foul!" I shouted, pointing to Flint. "That was definitely a foul!"

The referee seemed to agree, and Katie was given a foul shot.

I hovered next to Jimmy as I watched Katie take her shot. From the corner of my eye, I could see the bludger thrashing around, and I got a sudden idea.

"Hey Jimmy, can I use your stick for a minute?" I asked nicely.

Jimmy seemed confused as he handed it to me, "I guess...but why?"

"You'll see," I said distractedly, looking for the bludger.

Spotting it across the field, I flew over and aligned myself perfectly with a certain Slytherin.

Then, with all the force that I possibly could gather, I hit the bludger hard at Flint's head.

Missing my target by inches, the ball hit him sharply on the shoulder.

Flint was momentarily stunned, and had to grip his broom quickly to stop himself from falling off.

Grinning in victory, I smirked as he sent me a furious glare, "You'll pay for that, Miro!"

"We'll see, Flint!" I shouted back, and then flew to Jimmy to return his stick.

As the game resumed, it got dirtier and dirtier – this was one of the hardest Quidditch matches I'd ever played, but I reveled in the feeling of adrenaline that spiked through my body.

_It's been too long since I played a good game a Quidditch._

The wind swept through my ponytail, making it whip across my cheeks every time I turned. The sun had started to set out in the distance, and I knew that it was only a matter of time before we were shrouded in darkness. We had an hour, at most.

I was a bit unprepared when Ginny tossed me the quaffle unexpectedly, but after I fumbled around with it for a few moments I managed to safely tuck it under my arm and head to the Slytherins hoops.

Suddenly I felt a pressure on my side, and when I looked, I locked gazes with Flint. He began to push me farther and farther away from the hoops, but I couldn't let that happen. I darted forward even faster, but then felt the end of my broom dip down.

Chancing a look back, I saw Flint gripping my broom, a dark snarl on his face. I strengthened the grip on my end and tried to see if I could pass the quaffle, but none of my teammates were open.

"Let go, Flint!" I shouted loudly.

_This is a foul, where is the referee?_

"You need to be taught a lesson, Miro!" Flint growled, and then began to move the broom back and forward, all while keeping his own balance on spot.

I could feel my lower body shaking and my legs would begin to slide until I managed to sit upright. But I knew that with any more of this I would definitely fall.

As the Slytherin hoops loomed closer, I made a final attempt at scoring.

The quaffle didn't stop as it went passed Bletchley and through the hoop, and to my horror – neither did I.

I was going too fast to control my broom, so with Flint directly behind me, we crashed into one of the Slytherin hoops. I immediately reached out to grab onto the hoop for leverage in case my broom fell. But luckily it didn't, and I was caught between my broom and the hoop.

My head was ringing with pain from where I banged it, and I had an inkling that I'd get a bruise.

Luckily Fred and George had given me Bruise Removal Paste when I visited them in Diagon Alley. Knowing that I played Quidditch, they deemed that I would need it.

"You're a snake, Flint!" I yelled as I saw him fly from behind me, uninjured.

"Next up is Weaslette!" he snarled, and flew off towards the other end of the pitch.

I almost growled as I tried to reposition myself on my broom.

"C'mon, get your pathetic head in the game, Miro!" Bletchley sneered from beside me.

"Look who's talking, Bletchley. _I_ just scored!" I yelled as I flew towards where Flint went.

Just as I managed to get back in the game, I saw Flint conversing with Goyle, one of the beaters. Goyle nodded with affirmation, and when the bludger came around, he aimed and swung towards Ginny.

_No!_

"Ginny watch out!" I cried, and thankfully she heard me and saw the bludger coming. She immediately dodged it, and sent Goyle a fiery glance.

"Nice try, ya big idiot!" she shouted, and I knew that Goyle would be receiving a Bat Bogey Hex in the near future.

That was fine by me, as I had some choice curses in store for Flint, none of them pleasant.

Glancing towards the stands, I saw people shouting and pointing to something above my head. When I looked, I saw Harry flying full speed with Draco right on his tail.

And just like Draco did when we played at Malfoy Manor, he sped up just a bit more until he was ahead, reaching his arm out desperately.

Every second counted, and their positions shifted often.

They were now neck and neck, flying at almost impossible speeds.

When I flew, I could barely make out other people's faces, so I was really awed by how Harry – and Draco – could see such a fast moving, small object.

Just as I thought Harry would get it, he faltered, and Draco pulled ahead, outstretching his arm.

If there was ever a nail-biting moment, it was now.

Everyone in the stands were on their feet, following the path of each seeker, and even the players on the field had to hover and watch, each hoping that their own player would catch the snitch.

In normal games there was always a competitive edge, but now that the stakes were what they were, everyone was dizzy with anticipation.

Suddenly both seekers reached their arms out and then...

Cheers erupted in the stands.

They caught it.

* * *

**A/N: DON'T HATE ME! I never expected the Quidditch game to last this long, I wanted to save real Quiddtich action for when I write games in the Quidditch season, but I just kept writing and couldn't stop! But I promise, the next chapter will make up for it ;D Anyway, like I said, I will give a shoutout now...so, shoutout to the best reviewers a writer could have!**

_**xXMizz Alec VolturixX, chaansan, Potterhead313, Snipe Hunter 98, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, all the Guests, Megan, Nicky-Maree, Sasha, oXxgeorgiaxXo, misslagear, Notsilveraura, Alice-Ann Wonderland, StoryWriter23, SideshowJazz1, xxLiveLoveReadxx, ThePhantomismyLove, Xylia1014, and leathyde!  
**_

**_You guys are the greatest and your continued reviews and supportive words help make this story possible._**

**_Enjoy! :D_**


	30. I Don't Know

**Disclaimer: I keep trying to create these witty disclaimers, but you guys really don't care, do you? So no, I don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

_Harry's got it! Harry's got the snitch! We've won!_

Students in the stands went crazy, cheering loudly for the Gryffindor team.

A deep wave of relief swept through my body; so much so that I momentarily forgot I was hovering fifty feet in the air and almost fell off my broom.

I listened in awe as the field filled with the chants of the Gryffindors, "Fly high Gryffindor! Fly high Gryffindor!"

My teammates and I touched down on the ground and joined in with the chants as we gave each other encouraging hugs and pats.

"So Harry, you sure saved us a lot of embarrassment," I laughed as I hugged him.

The Slytherins, however, didn't show the same enthusiasm. As they all touched down, each Gryffindor turned to face them and waited expectantly.

Hermione then walked out onto the field and flicked her wand. A counter appeared above each Slytherin's head and started counting down from three minutes. "You have three minutes to fulfill the bet or the contract will take effect," she explained.

No one said a word, and the field was filled with eerie silence.

"What are you losers waiting for? Get stripping!" Ginny mocked eventually, and the Gryffindor team agreed with loud jeers.

"This isn't over. Just you wait until the season starts," Flint said dangerously, not making any move to take off his clothes.

"We're hearing a bunch of useless words, but no holding up your end of the bargain. So other than losers, you're cowards too?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"But we already knew that!" Katie input, and more Gryffindors booed at the Slytherins.

Draco stepped forward, looking rather confident even though he lost the game for Slytherin.

"You think this bothers us? This was a _pathetic _bet – too easy," Draco scoffed, and with a quick movement, tore off his shirt, tossing it over his shoulder.

I barely even registered the action when girls throughout the stands squealed and inched forward with anticipation.

_Wait – this is NOT the reaction I was going for! Where is the embarrassment? Where are the laughs?_

Practically all the girls in the stands waited on Draco's next move.

Draco was aware of this and simply smirked, reaching his hand to his pants as even more squeals sounded.

_Really? Seriously?_

He had the crowd in the palm of his hand and he was _loving it_.

Draco smirked teasingly as he slowly unbuttoned his pants, stopping occasionally to draw out the effect.

Oh yeah - he was definitely loving it.

Seconds later the other Slytherins followed Draco's lead as clothes were thrown all over the field, covering the ground.

I watched with indiscernible emotion as Draco took his pants off.

And then the git actually threw them into the crowd!

Screams erupted from the stands as girls stepped over each other to get to the pants.

I almost swore I heard Pansy shouting loudly that they were hers to claim.

Almost weird, but not quite because this was _Pansy_...

Draco's gaze turned to me, and we locked eye contact for a few moments. He was smirking widely as he strolled over to me leisurely, and I felt my annoyance grow.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" I asked sarcastically once he reached my side. I could barely hear the sound of my own voice over the still screaming females in the stands.

There was going to be a lot of people in the hospital wing tonight.

_I can see it now..._

Madame Pomfrey would look with bewilderment at the swarm of girls crowding in the infirmary. "What has happened?" she'd ask.

"I was fighting to get Draco's pants. And look, I got a piece!" One girl would say proudly, holding up a torn part of the garment.

Back in reality, Draco's smirk grew even wider.

"I know I am," he said smoothly, completely comfortable with being almost naked in front of the whole school. "Are you enjoying the view, Miro?"

I rolled my eyes, "_Definitely_, Malfoy. I'm just consumed with lust," My tone was sarcastic, but I had to inwardly laugh at how close to home the comment was.

Draco inconspicuously ducked his head into my neck until his breath was tickling my ear. "Glad to see you're finally admitting it. It's a shame, though, that this wasn't the other way around. I might've been more..._appreciative_."

Before I could retort with a snarky comment, Draco brushed passed me and headed towards the stands.

I glanced at the counters which had started at ten minutes once Draco had undressed, and saw that there was a little less than two minutes left.

I looked back to Draco when I heard more squeals from the stands.

Dressed in only his black boxers, apparently he wasn't a briefs kind of guy, Draco turned towards the crowd and lifted an eyebrow amusedly, stretching out the top of his boxers.

Girls went wild.

He continued to pull them down a bit more, exposing his hips and I swore a girl at the top of the stands passed out.

Moments later, a loud buzzer sounded across the field, and I looked up to see that the counter had reached zero.

Girls protested noisily as Draco picked up his clothes put them on, save for his pants. Other Slytherins did the same, making the girls even unhappier.

I heard Ron grumbling beside me, "Well, that didn't turn out like I hoped it would."

I agreed grumpily, "They're just lucky they only have boys on their team. It would've been much more embarrassing for us girls," I said. "But if we did lose, I'm sure you lot would've drawn the same reaction from the girls," I assured him.

With the first victory of Quidditch under our belt, we gave the Slytherins smug looks and then grabbed our brooms and walked back to Hogwarts.

It was probably already dinnertime, and no doubt the professors and Dumbledore were wondering where all the students were.

Harry led the crowd inside, and we met the teachers in the Great Hall, who looked a little worried.

McGonagall looked over all the students warily, "May I ask why all of you are so late to dinner?" She paused, suddenly, when something caught her eye. "Mr. Malfoy, why are you not wearing pants?"

The student body turned their heads to Draco, who only shrugged noncommittally.

"Very well then, I suggest you redress yourself before returning to dinner. Everyone else, you may enter," McGonagall instructed, still looking us over with suspicion.

The Gryffindors went in first, and when Draco returned with pants on, he led the Slytherins inside as well, in surprisingly high spirits.

Thanks to today's events, Draco's ego had somehow gotten even bigger than before.

_How joyful. Such good news._

But despite how the bet had turned out, the Gryffindors were the loudest in the Hall that night, reveling in the triumph of the first 'victory' of the year.

As we prepared to leave the Great Hall, Dumbledore took the podium and signaled for us to quiet down.

"I have heard that there were some _interesting_ activities today at the Quidditch pitch," he said, his eyes sparkling beneath his spectacles. "I cannot say I am entirely surprised. You know, I remember back in my day here at Hogwarts there was a similar event. It was Christmas Eve and-"

"Uh Headmaster, I think the students need to head to their dorms now," McGonagall interrupted politely, throwing a glance at Dumbledore.

You know, sometimes I actually wished I could hear some of Dumbledore's stories; they probably were hilarious.

"Right, perhaps another time. Now everyone to bed, pip pip!" Dumbledore finished, and all the students got up from their tables.

I was downing the last of my pumpkin juice when Flint and some of the other Slytherins 'accidently' knocked into me on their way out of the Great Hall.

My arm moved away from my mouth, spilling pumpkin juice all over myself and the table.

"Nice going, Miro!" Flint sneered along with his cronies, and all I could do was give them a dirty stare as I tried to find a cloth to clean myself with.

"Great big git," I muttered under my breath, wiping the front of my clothes.

"Nasty bloke," Ron shook his head, "Do you need help, Christina?"

"No I got it covered, I'll see you lot in the common room, alright?" I waved off their help. It was second nature to me by now, if I could do something myself, I would do it.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron waved as they exited the Great Hall and headed down the corridor. I turned back to the table and folded the cloth so that the dry side would be exposed and scrubbed down the table quickly. My hands were sticky from the pumpkin juice, and I desperately needed to wash them; I hated that feeling.

Once I finished cleaning, I huffed and left the Great Hall. Flint was going to feel my wrath twice over, now.

The corridor was empty and dark, a stark contrast to the usually lively atmosphere of Hogwarts. I secretly liked it like this, if only sometimes. I had been known to wander the halls at night when I couldn't sleep as a form of relaxation. The professors and prefects seemed to have caught on, however, as I could hardly get away with it anymore. As I passed by the many portraits which donned the halls, I noticed that most of the subjects were preparing for sleep, and one even snapped at me to lower my wand, which I was using as a source of light.

I knew the many corridors of Hogwarts like the back of my hand, so even without the light I could find my way to the Gryffindor common room.

But before I was able to reach my destination, I felt a hard tug on my left arm and stumbled face first into a small alcove. I was preparing to scream when a hand clamped over my mouth sharply, and the sound was muffled.

"Miro, it's just me," I heard a soft voice whisper, and I immediately recognized it as Draco's. "Can I take away my hand without you screaming bloody murder?"

I nodded my head, since the ability to speak was hindered at the moment.

Draco removed his hand and slowly grasped my shoulders, turning me to face him.

In the small alcove, there was an oval shaped window, and through it you could see the night sky in all its glory.

The moon, which was full tonight, acted as a partial light source, covering Draco and I in a soft glow. I noticed his eyes first, and how they sparkled with dangerous emotion in the moonlight. I could only see half his face, however, as the other half was shrouded in shadow.

"What are you doing here?" My voice was just above a whisper, but able to be heard.

"I was in the area, and I noticed a student out of bed," Draco said with a hint of humor.

"And being a _dutiful prefect_ you just had to come and confront them, yes?" I questioned with a sickly sweet voice, raising an eyebrow.

"You caught me," Draco admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "You played well, today," he changed the subject suddenly.

Now my second eyebrow joined the other, "Thank you for the compliment, Draco," I replied skeptically. "Though, the bet didn't quite turn out like I thought it would."

"Really?" Draco questioned, titling his head to the side. "It didn't live up to your _fantasies_?"

"I guess I just had different expectations," I conceded, and realized that we may not be talking about the actual bet.

"I thoroughly apologize for it not meeting your needs," Draco murmured quietly, and I suddenly felt the wall against my back. "Is there something I can do to make up for it?" Draco sharply placed his hands on each side of my head against the wall. He leaned in closer, and I could begin to smell the faint mint that graced his breath.

I let my mind wander for a moment. His breath always smelled fresh, was there a spell for that or something? Looking back up into Draco's face, I could see that he was stock-still, waiting on me to make my move.

"There may be..._something_..." I trailed off, biting my lip unconsciously to control my bubbling nerves.

Draco looked me over for a few seconds, "Do you feel it, too?"

Do I feel what? The tingles? The butterflies? The tension? Yeah – possibly.

"I do," I answered in a whisper.

I was reaching my limit, the point where I would begin to make some irrational decisions.

But Draco beat me to it.

"I'm going to kiss you, Christina. I'm going to kiss you, and if you have any objections, tell me now, _or else_."

I inwardly laughed. Only Draco could take a statement like _that_ and turn it into a threat.

I knew I should've said something. I knew. But even if I did, I'd be lying. I'd know, and Merlin knows he would. He always had a way of reading me, like Legilimens with emotions.

I think it's my eyes, they always give me away.

The eyes are the gateway to the soul, and I knew that better than anyone.

Not getting any protests on my end, Draco looked at me for a couple more seconds before leaning his head down slowly, almost uncertainly.

He stopped, just before his lips hit mine. I waited, and couldn't help but feel annoyed that he was dragging this process out.

But before I could open my mouth to complain, our lips roughly collided, and my head went blank.

There was nothing soft about the kiss – and I didn't expect it to be.

For a moment I didn't know what to do with my arms, so they hung limply at my sides. But when Draco's hands traveled down my shoulders and gripped me tightly above my hips, my hands shot up almost instinctly and wrapped around his neck, trying to fill any space between our bodies.

We continued to kiss passionately, and I occasionally felt Draco's tongue peek out from behind his lips and slowly trace my bottom lip, and I could do nothing more than deepen our kiss.

Much to my surprise, the feelings that I hoped would subside once I gave into my urges only intensified.

Tenfold.

I wanted more from him – I needed more.

But as I felt his cold hands exploring the skin of my stomach, all my senses came roaring back.

I pushed him away suddenly, and the alcove was filled with the sounds of our hurried breaths.

"What are we doing?" I asked eventually, once my breathing was under control.

"I don't know," Draco responded quietly.

And with those three words, I knew that this was only the beginning.

* * *

**A/N: Well, it's the chapter a lot of you have been waiting for. Finally, the kiss! Hope I didn't disappoint. But I do want to point out a few things, from my perspective and as a writer. The relationship between Draco and Christina is complicated. These are two people from the same side of life, but on completely different teams of the war. Nothing about their relationship is simple, quick, or easy. Falling in love takes time, and I want to portray a realistic picture of how that would come about between Draco and Christina. I think that they each have too much pride and stubbornness just to abandon their morals for each other, so that is definitely going to come into play throughout the whole story. "The course of true love never did run smooth." I hope that clears up any questions you would have about the progress between Draco/Christina. You know, I really should give them a ship name...any ideas readers? Hope you enjoy and R&R!**


	31. Maybe I'm A Lion

**Disclaimer: My spidey senses are telling me that I don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

I carefully tiptoed into the Gryffindor common room, trying not to make any noise to disturb my housemates sleeping in their dorms upstairs.

I made it halfway across the room before I spotted two dark figures sitting on one of the couches. My hand flew up to my mouth to prevent a scream from coming out. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw locks of fiery red hair, and brown curly strands next to them.

"Herms? Ginny?" I whispered, squinting my eyes to see better, though it didn't work.

"Where have you been, Christina?" Hermione asked cautiously, standing up slowly.

"Er..." I began, rubbing the back of my head. I was momentarily thankful for the darkness, as my friends wouldn't be able to see the redness spreading across my cheeks. "Just..."

"You were with _him_, weren't you?" Hermione questioned quickly, shock evident in her voice.

"Well...you see..." I couldn't find anything to say. Why was my mind like goo?

_Well, if you don't remember, your mind turned completely to mush when Draco put his hands –_

Merlin – my subconscious was _not_ helping.

"Wait, _who_ are we talking about here?" Ginny asked, looking back and forth between me and Hermione. "You gotta fill me in."

Hermione looked at me expectantly, and my shoulders slumped slightly. "Well..." I began.

"Christina and Malfoy are _shagging_!" Hermione exclaimed before I could continue, and I shushed her quickly, pointing upstairs.

"We are _not_ shagging, Herms! _Merlin_, you have a knack for exaggeration," I muttered. "There's just something going on between us. Not like anything you're thinking about...but this connection...this _tension_..."

"Oh – so like sexual tension?" Ginny deduced quickly, and I nodded, grateful that I wouldn't have to explain like I did with Hermione. This was why I always went to Ginny when I needed help with this type of subject.

"See Christina, I told you Ginny would know more about it," Hermione mumbled, her cheeks tinted with red. These types of conversations were _not_ comfortable to her.

I shrugged my shoulders, "So, what should I do about it?"

"Nothing!" Hermione jumped in quickly. "_Nothing_. This is Malfoy we're talking about. You know who he is..._what_ he may be...just let this whole thing pass."

_Easier said than done. _My brain lashed out, and I grimaced.

"I think you would be better off with someone like Terry," Hermione continued, "He's sweet, smart, gentle, cares about you..."

"Yes, he _is_ all those things," I agreed, "And I care about him too...but in a friendly way. I don't get _these_ feelings with him."

"Well, you should try to see where things go with Terry until you get over these _feelings_ for Malfoy," Hermione replied.

"But that would be using Terry, Herms. I'm not going to do that, I _wouldn't_ do that..." I gave her a pointed look, and she sighed explosively.

"I know, I know! I shouldn't have suggested that – I'm sorry," Hermione conceded, looking ashamed. "It's just...I'm out of options. Christina this is _Malfoy_, don't you remember? The git that caused us heaps of unnecessary trouble since first year?" Hermione suddenly turned quickly. "Has he used a Memory Charm on you?"

I rolled my eyes, "No Herms, I remember...and, even if he _did_ use a Memory Charm on me, do you think I'd _remember_ that? It's a _Memory Charm_," I chuckled slightly.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "Don't play smart with me, Christina. Do you even know what you're doing? You're forfeiting your morals...everything you've fought for...fought _against_..."

I walked over to Hermione and took her hand gently, "Hermione, calm down. I'm not in love with him, and he's not in love with me. This is just..._something_. It's not life altering. My morals and views are still in place and stronger than ever. I will never go against them, no matter what. I would die for them; I _am_ prepared to die for them, when the time comes..." I closed my eyes suddenly, thinking of the impending war that was sure to come.

The mood of the room shifted quickly in that moment.

Hermione squeezed my hand back, and her eyes softened. "I never meant to question your loyalty, I am sorry. That was not what I meant at all. I just...don't want you to get taken advantage of. I think that you'd be better with Terry...wouldn't you say, Ginny?" Hermione turned to Ginny, who had been rather quiet during the whole conversation, which was quite unexpected. Usually she had a lot of wisdom to offer in this subject.

"Yes, pursuing Terry would be smarter," Ginny agreed quietly.

Hermione looked back to me. "Just...think about things before you make any rash decisions, okay? Now, I think I'm going to go to sleep, which I suggest we all do. We have classes tomorrow. Christina, please think about things tonight. Goodnight, both of you."

Hermione left the common room and headed up to the girl's dormitory, leaving Ginny and I alone.

"Christina," Ginny said my name eventually, and I looked to her. "I know you're smart, you know you're smart, Merlin, the whole _school_ knows you're smart. But sometimes...the smartest option isn't always the best."

I openly gaped at her. "What?" I asked, that being the only word coming to mind.

"Well, sometimes we've got to follow our heart, rather than our head. So, be smart...but pick the best option."

"What are you saying?" I questioned, at a loss.

Ginny held up her hands defensively, "I'm not saying anything..." she trailed off, but a smirk found its way upon her lips, and that got me worried. "Have fun, Christina," Ginny said, then left the common room, and the only thing I could do was stand there and wonder if I heard her correctly.

* * *

The next morning I woke up early, and boy did my body protest. After showering and getting my robes on, I walked down to the common room and saw that I actually wasn't as early as I thought I was. Everyone had gone to the Great Hall already.

Tucking my books underneath my arm, I exited the common room and started heading down the corridor.

I traveled about fifteen feet when I felt a familiar tug on my arm, and I was pulled into an alcove. I didn't have to worry about who it was, I already knew.

"Good morning to you too, Malfoy," I smirked, turning to face Draco.

Draco smirked slightly before leaning into me, holding me up against the wall.

"You really like me against a wall, huh?" I asked, amusement in my tone.

Draco's smirk widened, "It's not bad," he stated simply. "So, did any of your little Gryffindor friends figure out where you were last night after dinner?" Draco slowly lowered his head onto my neck and I felt his lips tracing a path up to my jawline and back down again, sucking, licking, and biting as he went.

I could barely concentrate on finding words as his lips continued their ministrations at a tortuously slow pace.

"I...uh...they're...suspicious. You've caused me a lot of trouble," I accused softly, but let out a throaty groan as Draco sucked on the pulse point in my neck. He unlatched his lips with a wet pop and tilted his head back to look me in the eyes.

"I've caused you trouble, huh? How about I cause you a bit of trouble right now..." he murmured suggestively, leaning his lips until they were brushing mine only faintly.

Suddenly, the conversation I had with Hermione and Ginny came rushing back to me. And then Ginny's final words...

_"Have fun, Christina."_

And that's exactly what I was going to do.

"You've _always_ caused me trouble, Draco," I quipped before grabbing handfuls of his robes and pulling him to me quickly.

Our lips met hungrily, and I could feel Draco's lips quirk up in a smirk beneath mine. I took that chance to slide my tongue into the kiss, a movement I felt Draco return seconds later.

Draco's hand slipped passed my robes and held me by my waist in a vice like grip, and I could do nothing but slide my arms around his neck and bring his face closer to mine.

I was so lost in the kiss that I could barely register my movements – everything was so instinctive and sporadic.

I could feel my hips start to inch forward on their own accord, before grinding against Draco's own hips. He let out guttural groan and tightened his grip on my waist, as if in warning.

But I was spurred on by Draco's reaction and repeated the motion over...and over...and _over_.

As I felt Draco's erection growing, it was my turn to smirk into the kiss.

"Christina..." Draco warned breathlessly between our hurried kisses.

I could hear the dangerous tone in his voice, but I chose to ignore it. I was too preoccupied with how _sexy_ my named sound on his lips like that.

But when I grinded my hips forward again and pulled at his hair, Draco broke the kiss.

We both stayed still for a few seconds, trying to catch our breaths.

"You're a snake," Draco accused, his eyes still partly hooded.

The smirk I had been wearing turned into a full blown grin as I ducked out from under his arms and walked back into the corridor to go to the Great Hall.

"No, I'm a lion."

* * *

I walked into the Great Hall feeling extremely self-satisfied.

I was able to fluster Draco Malfoy...how many other girls could say that?

I felt like I had won a round of a game and just unlocked the next level.

Once I reached the Gryffindor table, I received strange looks from my friends.

"Not to be insensitive or anything Christina, but it looks like you got into a small explosion," Ron said, pointing to my hair – which was sticking out in all different places.

I cursed inwardly and started to pat it down quickly. "Better?" I asked once I was through.

"Much," Ron nodded and went back to his breakfast.

"And _what_ is that on your neck?" Hermione screeched, pulling the collar of my robes down.

I groaned slightly – I had a pretty good idea of what it _could_ be.

"Uh – nothing. Er...spider bite," I replied, brushing her hand away and pulling my robes to cover the presumed hickey.

Ron's fork dropped and clattered on his plate, "Spider?" he questioned, his voice going up a couple octaves.

"Oh yeah...a big one too," I nodded, chuckling a bit. Ron was _not_ fond of spiders.

He let out a slight shriek, "How scary..." he said solemnly before picking up his fork.

Hermione, however, leaned towards me. "I don't believe you."

"Well, then what do you think the truth is?" I asked, turning to her innocently.

At that moment, Draco appeared at the entrance of the Great Hall. His hair was still unruly in places, and I figured he didn't realize how messy it was, like I had.

But this image was enough to give Hermione a pretty good idea of what happened.

"Christina!" she slammed a hand down on the table. "Did you not listen to a word I said last night?"

"I did Herms," I said earnestly. "But you're blowing it out of proportion. Can't I just have a little fun?"

"_A little fun_?" Hermione repeated. "Yes, you can. But with _Malfoy_? Why _Malfoy_?"

I shrugged, "I honestly don't know...but can you leave it at that?" I asked hopefully.

Hermione stayed quiet for a few seconds. "Fine. I'll drop it – _for now_. I hope you know what you're doing."

_Tough luck then, Herms, because I really don't._

My thoughts were cut off when I heard the telltale sounds of owls. They were bringing the morning mail.

I watched with envy as almost every student in Hogwarts greeted their owl and accepted their mail. My dream to have an owl was just that now – a dream. With my financial situation, I wouldn't have anywhere to _live_ let alone own a pet.

Hedwig gracefully touched down in front of Harry and he undid the bundle of letters tied to her leg. He fed her a bit of his breakfast and then she flew off, disappearing with the rest of the owls.

Harry went through his letters one by one, but paused suddenly at the last one.

"Christina," he said quietly, and I turned to face him.

"Mhm?" I raised my eyebrows expectantly.

"This letter is addressed...to you."

* * *

**A/N: So, not too much plot here, but nonetheless I thought you guys would enjoy it. More plot is coming up in the next chapters...and I mean A LOT more. It's going to get intense, so get excited! Anyway, I will do another shoutout in my next update. So R&R! :D**


	32. Look At The Stars

**Disclaimer: If I made J.K Rowling in The Sims can I say I own Harry Potter there? ...no? Okay then I don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

"What?" I sat there in absolute shock.

_Letter? Who would want to write me a letter? And through Harry, too?_

"You've got a letter – see here? It's addressed to _Christina Miro. _Last time I checked, that wasn't my name. And I think it would be rather hard for someone to get _my_ name wrong, after all," Harry explained sarcastically, holding the letter out to me.

I was cautious to take it, still thinking the thing might explode or something similar to that effect.

Finally, I gingerly grasped it and brought it in front of my own eyes. Sure enough, it was _my_ name staring back at me.

"Who do you reckon it's from?" I asked, my eyes still glued to the envelope. There was no sender or return address.

"Well there's a rather simple way of finding out, Christina...you open it," Ron said obviously.

I gave him a long, hard stare. "Oh really, Ron? And what about the letter Harry got in first year during Christmas? With the invisibility cloak? It just said 'use it well', no name. So that kinda blows a hole in your theory."

Ron shut his mouth with a snap and scooped some eggs onto his plate grumpily.

"I think I recognize the handwriting, but I'm not certain," Harry said, chewing on some breakfast ham.

"So, what are you waiting for? Open the bloody thing!" Ron's curiosity was getting the better of him.

It was Hermione who scolded him this time, "Ronald, it is _her_ letter. She can open it whenever she feels comfortable!"

Ron muttered something under his breath and got back to stabbing at his eggs.

After a few more moments examining the envelope, I made my decision. "I think I'm going to wait until tonight to open it," I said, causing Ron to groan. "If I open it now, whatever content it contains will take my mind off my classes, and believe me, I need all the concentration I can get. Remind me again why I'm taking all N.E.W.T level courses?"

"But _Christina_," Ron whined. "Won't all the possibilities of what's inside entertain your mind too?"

I paused, and conceded inwardly. He had a point. "Yeah, I guess," I admitted. "But I would rather open the letter when I have more time to spare...we have to get to class now," I said as all the students in the Great Hall began to get up and exit.

"You try my patience sometimes, Christina. You know that?" Ron shook his head, gathering his books.

I laughed loudly, and raised an eyebrow. "Welcome to my world."

* * *

Classes were going by tortuously slow – and I mean slower than a legless centaur.

_Slow_.

I was honestly regretting not opening the letter during breakfast, because the aforementioned object was now burning a hole through my pocket.

I even tried to fill my curiosity during my first class, Defense Against the Dark Arts, but looking in hindsight, that wasn't such a good decision.

"May I ask what you're doing, Miss. Miro?" Snape drawled, and my hands immediately shot out of my robes and my head straightened with attention.

"Uh...no?" I threw out hopefully, and then added, "Professor." You know, for good measure.

"I see...a week and a half's worth of detention for your inability to pay attention. It's a wonder how you made it to this class at all," Snape's robes billowed as he turned swiftly to continue the lesson.

I stared at him, openmouthed.

_I already have detention with him! And he has to add more?_

"In case you can't figure out the addition, that will be two and a half weeks of detentions, Miss. Miro. Don't forget," Snape said, not even turning to face me.

I fumed, and did my best not to take out my wand. Cursing a teacher would probably be frowned upon, but I think Snape would see my attack coming from a mile away.

The rest of my classes dragged on like that until I found myself walking to dinner.

As I ambled down the crowded corridors, the letter was still safely tucked in my pocket, and it was my mission to eat as fast as possible and then race up to the common room to finally fulfill my curiosity.

But that mission changed when I noticed Draco standing in one of the empty side corridors, looking straight at me. His body was relaxed and casual, but his eyes told a different story.

And when he started to walk further down the corridor, I got his unspoken message.

Dinner – and the letter – would have to wait...just for a _little_ bit more.

I cut across the hall, gingerly pushing passed oncoming students, until I stumbled into the empty hallway. The loud noises of the students were echoed in this lone corridor, and I heard it until I turned another corner, going further away from the Great Hall.

It was only when I could barely hear the students anymore that I saw Draco leaning up against the corridor wall, wearing a mask of indifference.

"Draco?" I questioned, my voice almost a purr. "Fancy seeing you here."

Draco pushed himself off the wall and began stalking towards me. "Fancy, indeed," he hummed, and I found myself taking a step away for every step he took forward. He had a predatory gleam in his eyes that sent a thrill up my spine. Draco noticed this and smirked, continuing to walk closer. "Scared, Christina?" he asked in a whisper, and I immediately planted my feet firmly on the ground.

I looked him straight in the eyes as I said, "You don't scare me, Draco."

Draco's face twisted in a mirage of emotions before settling on a slowly growing smirk. "So you've told me..." He suddenly grabbed me by each arm and rammed me into the nearby wall. My head slammed against the stone, but I had no time to think about the pain before Draco's lips were on mine, kissing me ardently and harder than ever. "Still not scared?" he asked in between the desperate kisses.

"No," I was able to rasp out before his lips caught mine again.

My arms were pinned over my head by one of Draco's hands, and the other was grasping my chin, pulling me forward and deeper into the kiss.

Though that action wasn't necessarily needed because I was trying to do that all by myself.

Draco seemed to lose himself in the kiss, and he let out little moans or hisses whenever I moved a certain way, or clamped my teeth down over his bottom lip.

As Draco pushed his hips into me and pinned me to the wall, I let out a slight whimper and tried to push back with equal fervor.

Draco pulled his lips away from mine and my eyes shot open, looking for a reason as to why he stopped.

"No..." he began, smirking slightly, "You're definitely not _scared_..."

My face flushed red as I tried to control my still bucking hips.

_Why does he have to open up his big mouth? There are other things he could use it for..._

"I wonder what it _does_ take to make you scared..." Draco mused, cocking his head to the side in wonder.

"You'll just have to try and find out," I challenged, locking his gaze in a fiery stare.

Draco suddenly leaned in, and I puckered my lips for the kiss, but when I didn't feel any pressure I pried one eye open. Draco moved passed my lips, kissing a trail from my jaw until he reached my ear.

"Oh believe me, I will," he whispered dangerously, ghosting his lips across the shell of my ear. "And the pleasure will be _all mine_."

Draco gave my arms one last squeeze before he released them and stepped away from me. "You may be a lion, Christina, but don't forget that I'm a snake."

I slowly lowered my arms as I watched Draco's eyes darken like two pieces of coal.

"And they're _very bad_."

* * *

The letter sat on the table in front of me, mocking me.

"So, are you gonna open it?" Ron asked from beside me.

I looked at him from the corner of my eye, "Patience, Ron."

"Do you think it's from your parents?" Hermione asked curiously.

I shook my head, "No, not at all. It's not their handwriting. And how would they get a hold of Hedwig?"

"The maybe...your sisters?" Harry suggested.

I shook my head again, "No, they're at Durmstrang, they wouldn't have access to Hedwig, either."

My sisters, Lauren and Marissa, didn't attend Hogwarts like practically all my family had. When I was sorted into Gryffindor and started to disobey my parents' standards and rules, they didn't want me to 'corrupt' my sisters, so they made an exception to family tradition and sent them to Durmstrang.

It upset me, because growing up; my sisters and I were very close.

My sisters were brought up with the same set of family values my family had tried to engrain in me.

But _unlike_ me, my sisters held them as law.

So when I started to protest, my sisters immediately turned on me.

They hated me now...they didn't even consider me a sister anymore. And it hurt me. More than I wanted to admit.

"Why are we standing here guessing who it might be when we can open it up and see?" Ron questioned, obviously frustrated.

"Fine," I sighed, taking the envelope in my hands and tearing it open. I began to unfold it slowly until I saw a passage of neat cursive written in black ink.

I started to read to myself.

_Christina, _

_I am writing to see how you are. I have heard about the unfortunate, and I should say, evil circumstances regarding your parents. Believe me; I know what you're going through. I told you my story when we first met, and you know how similar our cases are. Just listen to me; things will be okay, Christina. They will. It might not be right now, or in the near future, but eventually things will turn out alright. When Harry sent Hedwig to me with one of his weekly letters, I felt it wise to owl you as well, just to see how you were holding up. Do you have an owl, as well? I would like to keep in touch with you. What I can tell you now is that things are boiling. Your father has deep ties with the Dark Lord, of this I am sure. He trusts your father more than that coward Malfoy. But that just means that you need to be extra careful, Christina. If you get caught up with the Death Eaters, they would have no qualms with killing you. Take it from someone who knows. Someone who's been there, done that. We're both on the run, I should say. You need to be careful, Christina. Just remember what I told you the last time we talked. Keep Harry and your friends close. Please write back, I want to hear from you. And in case you are wondering, I am okay. I can't disclose my whereabouts, but I am safe for now._

_S.B_

I put the letter down and looked at Harry, Hermione, and Ron's awaiting faces. "It was Sirius."

They seemed slightly curious.

"I knew the handwriting looked familiar. What did the letter say?" Harry asked.

I read the letter out loud this time and watched my friend's expressions transform.

"Well that doesn't sound good," Ron began, his forehead wrinkling, "If even Sirius knows about your family situation it must be well-known news."

I turned to Harry. "Did you tell him anything about it?" I asked, curiously.

Harry shook his head, "No, I didn't."

I sighed, "Then my parents must be telling everyone that I'm public enemy number one."

"That's just too horrible. I don't know how you'll be able to live with them for the next couple of years like this," Hermione narrowed her eyes in disgust.

I immediately felt guilt swell through me. "Yeah...me neither..." I trailed off awkwardly, scratching the back of my head.

I debated on whether or not to tell them about my financial and living situation, but somehow, I decided not to. I needed to think about things first.

"I think I'm going to go take a walk...to clear my head. And Ron, Hermione, don't you have prefect duties?" I asked.

Hermione slapped her forehead lightly, "That's right. I almost forgot. Let's go Ron...and Christina, are you sure you're alright?"

I nodded stiffly, "Yeah, fine. I'll talk to you later."

Hermione and Ron rushed out of the common room seconds later.

"Do you want me to join you on your walk?" Harry asked from behind me.

I shook my head, "No, it's okay. I won't be gone long."

Harry gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he left, walking to his dormitory.

After tucking Sirius' letter safely in my pocket, I exited the common room and quietly ambled down the corridor.

I headed up to the Astronomy Tower, even though I knew it was off limits to students when classes weren't taking place.

Once I reached the tower, I let the chill wave of air sweep through my hair. It was a cool night, but not uncomfortably cold.

I leaned myself over the thick railing and looked out at the dark scenery. The stars were bright tonight, and I could clearly see the star Sirius, which was ironic because I had a letter from the man himself sitting in my pocket.

Taking it out, I reread it a couple times.

If he was telling me to be careful so ardently, then I knew I really needed to watch my back.

I had figured that my parents would make me the enemy, but that still didn't mean I wasn't hurt or betrayed.

I missed the times where things were fine. I missed being young and innocent and thinking that the world was a safe, wonderful place. I missed the times where I knew that death wasn't possibly around every corner.

But I've grown up now. And I know the world is twisted and cruel. People betray you and hurt you, and it's up to you to stay strong and battle on.

You need to find something to believe it, something to fight for. Something you're willing to die for. And – I've found it.

But it still hurts.

I quickly wiped the tears that had gathered on my lashes, threatening to fall. I couldn't let myself cry.

Not now, not again.

I wasn't weak. I _couldn't_ be weak.

If I was, then my parents would win. Their views would win. _Voldemort_ would win.

I couldn't win this war alone, but with my strength, maybe I could influence others.

More tears gathered in my eyes.

A war was coming, that I knew. There would be death; there would be pain – on both sides.

But, when would this war would come to fruition? That I didn't know. It was soon, though.

I looked around the observatory again.

I didn't take this for granted, my time at Hogwarts. It was the best years of my life, and I've met people who changed the course of it.

How would Hogwarts be affected?

My home...my true home...how would it stand in this war?

"You shouldn't be up here."

A voice from behind me made me jump, and I nearly fell off the Astronomy Tower.

Thank Merlin for the railing.

I turned around and froze when I saw familiar white blond hair.

"Draco..." I whispered in surprise. "What are you doing here?" My voice shook slightly, and I grimaced at how wimpy I sounded.

Draco must've realized too, since he cautiously began to step forward. "Prefect duties," he said simply, with no touch of his usual haughtiness. "I saw you walking, so I followed you."

I nodded and turned around, staring back out into the stars.

"You seem to be in lesser spirits than how I last saw you," Draco mused, joining me at the railing. "Can I ask what has happened?"

"You can ask, but it doesn't mean I'll tell you," I laughed lightly, and noticed Draco's lips curling into a smirk.

We both stayed there in silence, just staring at the night sky and feeling the small breeze brush us.

"Christina, are you alright?" Draco asked eventually, and his tone _actually_ seemed concerned. "Have you had another nightmare?"

I shook my head, "No," I replied, but that got me thinking. I _hadn't_ had another nightmare. Perhaps the potion worked?

"Then, what is it?" Draco questioned.

"I...I..." I started, but couldn't find the words. All the emotions came rushing to me, and all I could do was let out a short sob, and put my head in my hands.

I hated crying. And in front of _Draco_, no less. This would probably give him a good laugh later on tonight.

Oh yeah – definitely something to use to taunt me in the future.

So you can say I was a _little_ shocked when I felt two arms gently wrap around my shoulders and pull me to them.

I leaned my head against Draco's chest as the tears fell silently, and I felt Draco's fingers rub soft circles on my back.

He didn't say anything, and for that, I was grateful.

We both knew each of our views. We both knew where we stood. Different sides of the same coin.

If Draco said something, we both knew it would've turned into a fight, and we've had _that_ argument before. It was certainly getting old.

So we just stayed there silently, with the company of the stars, until no more tears came.

"I have no home, Draco," I whispered eventually, and I felt Draco hold me closer. "I have no money. I have nothing."

With that Draco pulled me off his chest, and I honestly expected the taunting to begin.

But, shocking me again, he only cupped my cheek carefully and tilted my head up.

"Home is where your heart is, Christina. That's _home_," Draco said certainly, rubbing his thumb across my cheek. He suddenly got an odd look on his face, "And, please stop crying. I'm honestly not sure what to do with you. I've never seen you like this."

I laughed, even though I knew Draco was being completely earnest.

The situation was odd for him too, at least I wasn't alone.

I wasn't used to seeing Draco being so compassionate. Usually he had his emotions shut down.

"Draco Malfoy being nice," I began, my lips twitching. "It's a good look for you. Definitely different than your _evil_ persona."

Pain flashed across Draco's eyes, but he repressed it almost instantly. "Evil isn't for everyone," Draco started, looking away. "And maybe...it isn't worth it," He turned his head towards me quickly. "You know how I feel, Christina, and that won't change...but don't give in to your parents. Ever. Stay good, Christina. It's easier."

"Draco...I..."

"But I never was one for the easy way, was I?" Draco mused with dark amusement. "Glutton for punishment, I guess."

I felt my eyes watering at what he was admitting to me. "Draco..."

But he cut me off again, "It's late. Let me take you back to your common room." Draco looked tense, and I think he realized he might've said too much.

Before I could protest, Draco was leading me down the Astronomy Tower stairs, and he didn't stop walking until we reached the Gryffindor common room.

We were each silent the entire journey, both lost in our own thoughts.

"I trust you're feeling better?" Draco asked quietly, avoiding eye contact.

I nodded, "A little bit," I replied honestly. "Thank you."

Draco shrugged indifferently, and I could tell he had his walls up again. "Well, goodnight," he mumbled, and went to walk away.

"Draco – wait!" I called out suddenly, and he stopped walking to turn around and look at me expectantly. Holding my head up confidently, I stepped over to him and put my arms over his shoulders before bringing my lips up to his.

At first he didn't respond to the kiss, and I could feel his shoulders tense up.

But just as I was about to break away, I could feel his lips moving against mine, slowly and uncertainly.

Draco was holding back, that I knew.

As I tried to deepen the kiss, Draco pulled away. His eyes were still partly closed, and though the kiss wasn't fast paced, his breathing had sped up.

"Goodnight, Christina," he said shortly, before turning on his heel and walking off down the corridor.

I stared after him for minutes, lost in my own mind.

I was touched by his actions, I was disappointed that he didn't tell me more...but most of all I was confused. Confused by my feelings, and by his.

* * *

**A/N: Whew. Another chapter, done! Now, a lot of things need to be explained, so listen up! First. Sirius Black is ALIVE. He is one of my favorite characters and I thought I could do so much with him. He's so much like Christina, to me. Second. In the movies Durmstrang was portrayed as an all boys school, but in the books, it is male and female. In this story, I'm going by the books. Third. Let's talk about the relationship between Sirius and Christina. Since they met in the third year (POA), they were close, because their stories were so similiar. I would like to say that Sirius is like a father to Christina - the father she never had. He's a mentor or inspiration to her, at least. Because he got out and ran away from the same life she was living, and now that she has done the same thing, she sees him as a confidant and friend. They have an extremely close relationship, and I cannot wait to write his character. And lastly...I was contemplating about the end of this chapter, whether or not to put Draco in this scene, or have it be Harry or someone. In the end, I'm glad I went with Draco. I feel like this is a turning point in their 'relationship', that each of them are going to start seeing each other in a different light. You'll have to read on to find out where I'm going with this. So, I'm going to do the shoutout next chapter, because this took up a lot of space. And to my reviewers...you guys are THE BEST. Oh and...LONGEST CHAPTER YET! :D**


	33. Weasley Is Our King

**Disclaimer: I probably own over 100 Harry Potter related items. But I don't own Harry Potter. **

* * *

I sat up in my bed that night, just thinking. There was so much to think about, wouldn't you say?

After ten minutes and five position changes, I let out a soft sigh and reached over to my bedside table. I grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill and sat back in my original position.

If I was thinking so much now, might as well think of a reply to Sirius's letter.

_S.B,_

_I was surprised to hear from you, to say the least. Happy though, too. It's been a while since we last talked, hasn't it? And while I'm glad you owled, I wish it could be under better circumstances. Anything you might've heard about me is probably correct. I'm not under my parents' protection, so I'm fair game to any death eater that finds me. Honestly, I'm looking forward to the day where everything is 'okay'. It hasn't come yet, and I know you're still looking for yours too. But I also know that it won't be anytime soon. The war is coming, and we need to be ready for it. I would like to keep in touch with you, but I don't have an owl. My financial situation is rather poor, and I just don't have the funds to buy anything but necessary living items. I guess we'll just have to use Hedwig? I'm sure Harry will be more the willing...I will ask. It's no secret that my father works for Him, and I know that puts me in even more danger. Thank you for your concern, and I will definitely have eyes in the back of my head. But you also need to follow your own instructions. Be careful. How are you, by the way? I know you can't give away much, but please tell me what you can. I'm looking forward to seeing you when the time comes, Padfoot. I'm sending my love...and give some to Buckbeak, too._

_Christina_

* * *

It's been approximately six weeks since I replied to Sirius's letter, and I have yet to receive a reply back.

It was now early December, and the school year seemed to be progressing rather quickly.

Nothing really changed, however.

Classes were going well, fortunately even Defense Against the Dark Arts with Snape.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Neville and I haven't had another nightmare since Dumbledore gave us that potion.

And Draco and I...well, we were having our fun.

Or at least, that's what I was trying to tell myself.

We still had our fights, and in public we were the same as we always were...but in private, things were much, _much_ different.

But I tended not to dwell on thoughts like that, because I was afraid of what I might find.

"Christina!"

A loud male voice shouted from my left, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Hm?" I mumbled, turning to face the source of the voice, Harry.

"We have to be on the pitch in fifteen minutes!" Harry reminded me, and I shot up off the couch in a flash.

_That's right!_

The first _'official'_ game of the Quidditch season was Saturday...which would make _today_ Saturday. The game was between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

_What a surprise._

"Okay Harry let me get my uniform on and I'll be right there. You need to be there now in case our teammates are there early," I said, already making my way up to my dorm.

I had a tendency to procrastinate...a lot. Especially when thinking was involved.

I got a lot of scolding about that fact from my parents, and even recently from Hermione.

It was unnecessary however, because even though I waited until the last minute for things, I was never really _late_.

So it always worked out...meaning at least _something_ in my life did.

After rummaging through my drawer I found my basic Gryffindor Quidditch clothing. The armor we normally used was always kept with our brooms in the storage area by the pitch, so I would have to wait to put those on.

I was jumping to put my pants on when Hermione walked into the dorm.

"Hermione!" I gasped in surprise, fumbling around with the pants and nearly falling flat on my face. "What are you doing here? Aren't you coming to the game?"

"Of course I am," Hermione replied. "I'm just getting my jacket. It's rather cool out."

I grit my teeth. There was nothing worse than playing Quidditch in the cold.

Wait – scratch that. There was nothing worse than playing Quidditch in the snow, or a storm.

So in the full picture of things, playing Quidditch it the cold was only a slight annoyance.

But I still didn't have to be happy about it. Especially since I would be up the in air – where it was even colder.

"So, were you at the pitch? How crowded is it?" I asked, slipping on my shirt and tying up my hair.

"Well you know how it is, Quidditch games are the highlights of the day – for some people," Hermione shrugged.

I pursed my lips, "Hermione, don't be bitter. Not everyone is as excited for tests as you are."

Hermione crossed her arms indignantly, "Tests are fascinating. They try our knowledge and can help us pinpoint areas we are lacking in," she began, but held up a hand when I started to protest. "That still doesn't mean I don't enjoy a good Quidditch game. Now, aren't you going to be late? I suggest you hurry down to the pitch."

I agreed, "Okay Herms, I'll see you there!" As I went to run out of the dorm, Hermione gave me one last piece of wisdom.

"Get them good, Christina." She cracked a small smile, and I grinned widely.

"Don't we always?" I laughed, and then resumed my trek down the stairs.

As I made my way through the corridors, I noticed that they were practically deserted. There must be more people coming to watch the game than usual.

I had the exit in my line of sight, but before I could get to it, I felt a sharp tug on my arm.

Over the past weeks, that had been Draco's 'sign'. He would pull me into an alcove, usually when I was unsuspecting, and we would ravish each other until one of us started witty banter or left off with a flirty innuendo.

I was used to this by now, and didn't protest when I felt Draco's lips press into mine hungrily. I grabbed onto the front of his Quidditch robes and pulled him to me even closer.

Draco let out a soft 'hmpf', and snaked his arms around my hips.

"You really should find some new moves, you know," I murmured in between kisses. "Just pulling me into alcoves is getting a bit old, and it's not very romantic," I teased.

"You want romantic, huh?" Draco whispered tantalizingly against my lips. "I'll take that into consideration," he mumbled before kissing me again, slowly and deeply.

And when he added his tongue to the mix, my mind started to go fuzzy.

But I pulled away suddenly, and glared at him suspiciously, "I know what you're doing," I started, narrowing my eyes. "You're trying to weaken me for the game."

"Is it working?" Draco asked, smirking slightly.

"Unfortunately," I smirked back, and pulled his head back to me. I gave a soft sigh as Draco began to trail kisses down my neck, biting and sucking as he went along.

"You know, Christina...contrary to your belief, Slytherin can win even if you are on your top game," Draco explained in a muffled voice.

I laughed, but that soon turned into a moan when Draco bit sharply on a spot near my collar bone. "Yeah, because your track record is _so_ outstanding."

Draco bit down again before tearing his face out of the crook of my neck. "Well, we'll just have to see how this game goes...we've got some tricks up our sleeve."

My gaze narrowed at the smirk growing on Draco's face.

"What are you planning, Draco?" I asked suspiciously.

Draco's smirk widened, "I'll see you on the pitch, Christina." He pecked me once more quickly on the lips and then exited the alcove before I could say anything.

I stood there for a few seconds, trying to figure out what Draco was planning. No ideas came to mind, so the only thing I could do was wait and see.

Once I reached the pitch, I could see the stands overflowing with students from all Houses, even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. I noticed Harry surrounded by our team members, giving some type of speech. Quickly getting over to them, I saw that his face was drawn and anxious.

"Hey Harry, what's wrong?" I asked once I reached him.

He gazed up at me uncertainly, "Madame Hooch is out for this game."

I tilted my head to the side, "So, who's going to referee the game?"

Harry let out a pitiful sigh, "Snape."

My jaw locked and then promptly dropped.

"Snape?" I questioned. "Why would _Snape_ be chosen? That's completely biased!" It was unbelievable.

But suddenly I froze, as Draco's words came rushing back to me.

_"Well, we'll just have to see how this game goes...we've got some tricks up our sleeve."_

Draco wasn't kidding – the git.

I turned to Harry, already suspecting his answer. "Did they say why Madame Hooch was unable to make the game?"

Harry nodded, "She came down with a mild illness and a breakout of boils...she won't be able to be cured until tomorrow."

My shoulders slumped. "Courtesy of the Slytherins, I predict," I murmured to my teammates, who all nodded grumpily. "We can still win this; even with Snape as referee...right Harry?" I looked to Harry for some support.

"Snape has to be fair," Harry conceded.

"But we all know he won't be," Ron chimed in, looking annoyed. "My first 'official' game as keeper and I'm going to look like an idiot because of _Snape_!"

"We all know you have no problem doing that all own your own, Weasel," Marcus Flint and his team of Slytherins strolled by us, heading for their side of the field.

Ron went to lunge at Flint, but Ginny and Harry held him back.

"Ron, don't encourage them. Just leave it," I could hear Ginny whispering into Ron's ear soothingly.

Ron backed off, but his shoulders were still tight and tense.

"You're just pathetic Flint," I spat, glaring at him. "What are you trying to do? Rile us so that we'll be off our game? Are you _that_ scared of us beating you?"

Flint stepped forward threateningly, "We don't need to do that – we can beat your Gryffindor arse _anytime_."

"I don't remember that being the situation during our last little game?" Ginny input from behind me, and Flint turned his stony gaze to her.

"Watch your mouth, Weaslette. I know plenty of things you can do with your mouth, but insulting your superiors is not one of them," Flint sneered.

This time both Harry and Ron lunged, but luckily Ginny and I pulled them back before a full scale brawl could take place on the pitch with everyone watching.

"You're a pig," I informed Flint coldly, "And you're going to lose so bad."

"We'll see, Miro," It was Draco who stepped in line Flint this time. "We've got some tricks up our sleeve," he repeated, and smirked.

"So I've seen," I muttered. "Cursing Hooch so that she'd be out as a referee? Real mature. How did you manage to get Snape as the referee, anyway?"

"Well, that's our little secret," Draco said softly, sharing an amused glance with Flint.

"And don't think you can tell anyone...no one would believe you," Flint added.

Harry rolled his eyes, "We're not going to try and turn you in. We're going to let our playing speak for itself."

The Gryffindor team agreed enthusiastically.

"Good for you, Potter," Draco commended sarcastically. "Go right ahead, be our guest."

"But..." Flint added darkly, "There's plenty more to come."

With that, the Slytherins all walked away confidently, heading to their places on the field. I shared one last look with Draco, who gave me a special smirk, and I glared at him right back.

_We are so going to win – we have to._

* * *

It was time. Game time.

The crowd cheered as each player took their position on the field.

Throwing one leg over my broom, I crouched down so that my knees were bent slightly, ready to push myself off the ground and begin the game.

Snape came to the middle of the field where both teams gathered and opened up the ball set. He released the snitch first, and I watched wide-eyed as it flew around my head before shooting off into the already darkening sky. Snape released the bludger next, and it took off like a cannon ball in the opposite direction.

Finally, Snape took the quaffle into his hands. As he got ready to start the game I leaned in towards Ginny, who was standing at my side.

"Boy do I miss Lee – he would've had a field day doing commentary for this!" I whispered, and Ginny laughed, nodding her head.

She cleared her throat and did her best Lee Jordan impression, "And the quaffle gets passed to Christina! And – oh no, Snape calls a foul! That dirty, little-"

"JORDAN!" I shouted, doing a rather spot on McGonagall impersonation. "If you can't commentate in an unbiased way-"

"I'm just telling it like it is, professor!" Ginny broke Lee's character and started to snicker, with me soon joining her.

However, when the rest of the players on the field got quiet, we both stopped laughing and looked around. They all were looking at us, and Snape seemed rather perturbed.

"If you both have better things to do, I can always declare Slytherin the winner and you can leave the pitch," Snape said, his voice mocking.

"No, professor," I mumbled.

"Sorry, professor," Ginny added, looking embarrassed.

Very well," Snape replied, giving us another look before addressing the players. "Once toss the quaffle into the air, the game will begin. There will be no cheating or anything of the sort," He glared at the Gryffindor team, and I clenched my jaw.

_It's not us you have to look out for...but you already know that, don't you?_

Snape angled his arms out, and after a few seconds, with silence filling the pitch, he threw the quaffle up.

And it begins!

Ginny immediately snatched the ball and headed for the Slytherin hoops. On the way, she passed it to Katie, and Katie passed it back when she got a nasty hit from Flint.

In the meantime, I was being heavily guarded by one of the Slytherin chasers, Urquhart. When Ginny looked to pass it to me, I signaled for her to continue on to the hoops, that I was blocked.

Ginny made it to the hoops and threw the ball with precision. It went passed the keeper, Miles Bletchley, and scored.

All the Gryffindor supporters in the crowd cheered loudly, and our teammates gave Ginny hive fives.

It was a miracle Snape didn't call some type of foul to object to the goal.

Slytherin got control of the quaffle and Flint took off with it, heading towards the Gryffindor hoops. As I tried to catch up with him, Harry and Draco zipped by me, hunting for the snitch and almost tossing me off my broom.

Harry shouted, "Sorry Christina!"

And Draco yelled, "Watch it, Miro!"

Both expected responses.

I was nearing in on Flint when I was hit from both sides by the Slytherin's beaters, Crabbe and Goyle. They repeatedly slammed into me, and I could feel one of them use their sticks to jab me in the side. I almost fell once again, but I managed to right myself.

This was a foul, I was sure of it, but I didn't expect Snape to do anything about it.

Flint finally made it to the Gryffindor hoops and tossed the quaffle furiously. It soared passed Ron and into the hoop farthest to the right.

Slytherin supporters cheered loudly, and Ron looked pretty disappointed. I was about to call out to him and say it was alright when I noticed the Slytherins in the crowd all standing up again, and Marcus Flint made some type of hand signal to them.

Moments later, the pitch was filled with chanting.

_"Weasley cannot save a thing,_

_He cannot block a single ring,_

_That's why Slytherins all sing:_

_Weasley is our King._

_Weasley was born in a bin_

_He always lets the Quaffle in_

_Weasley will make sure we win_

_Weasley is our King._

_Weasley is our King,_

_Weasley is our King,_

_He always lets the Quaffle in_

_Weasley is our King!"_

"What the bloody hell is this!" I shouted, glaring at the Slytherins in shock and anger.

"What are they playing at?" Harry yelled, looking to Ron, who was turning white.

As I saw the confidence leaving his eyes, I knew what the Slytherins were trying to do.

"Ron!" I shouted, hovering next to him. "Don't listen to them! They're trying to humiliate you and make you lose your confidence so you'll let in the goals and help them win. This is what they want! Stay focused!" I instructed desperately, hoping to ease his humiliation. "Ron, it's alright. Just _focus_!" I repeated, and flew back into the game once it resumed.

The game was now tied, and neither Draco nor Harry had gotten the snitch yet.

Katie was in control of the quaffle at this moment, and when she saw Flint edging in on her, she made a sharp pass to me. I caught the ball deftly and shot towards the Slytherin hoops.

A Slytherin chaser, Vaisey, was at my side within seconds. I knew I had to lose him, but how?

When I noticed the second chaser, Urquhart, closing in on my other side, I had an idea. Just as Urquhart was about to slam into my left side, I decreased my speed abruptly, and watched as both Urquhart and Vaisey collided in front of me.

They each started to fall off, but managed to keep their balance and right themselves. But their hindrance was enough for me to zoom passed them and head for the hoops. I scoped out my options, and after making a fake throw to the right hoop, I tossed the quaffle into the left and scored.

The crowd cheered, and chanted, "Fly high, Gryffindor!"

The Slytherins wasted no time in getting the quaffle again and flying to the Gryffindor hoops. Katie was the closest to Flint, who was the one in control of the quaffle, and flew lower to his level to try and steal it.

But Crabbe and Goyle followed her, and within moments they surrounded her broom. I managed to see Goyle raise his stick and slam it on the front of Katie's broom. It snapped, and Katie slid forward, trying to hold onto anything she could to keep balance.

She managed, but I knew that her flying would be impaired with a damaged broom.

I was waiting for Snape to call a foul, because that much was obvious, but he never did. He just hovered there, looking at the game through indifferent eyes.

I almost shouted timeout, but the bludger whipping passed my head stopped me, and I had to hold tighter onto my broom. I still saw Flint heading to Ron, who looked absolutely pale, and I grit my teeth.

_That's it!_

I pushed my broom forward and sped up to where Flint was. Just as he was about to attempt to score, I rammed into him, causing the quaffle to fall from his hand and into the awaiting arms of Ginny.

Just as Ginny was about to head for the Slytherin hoops, Snape blew his whistle.

"Foul on Marcus Flint by Christina Miro," Snape announced, and I almost shouted.

Luckily I held my tongue, but Snape noticed my 'almost' move.

"Something to say, Miro?" he asked, hovering a couple feet below me. "If you played with civility then maybe you wouldn't get a foul."

Oh boy the things I could do with a beater's bat and Snape's head at this very moment.

"Penalty shot for Marcus Flint," Snape declared, and after Flint gave me a smug smirk, he went to take his shot.

"That was a cheap blow," Ginny muttered from next to me as we watched Flint. "Crabbe and Goyle broke Katie's broom! I'd say _that's_ a foul!"

"Agreed," I said, looking at Snape angrily. "But Snape wouldn't call fouls on his own House."

"Be careful for the rest of the game," Ginny warned. "Don't use any moves that he can penalize you for...we need you in this game, and if you make more fouls, you'll be out on the sidelines."

I begrudgingly nodded, "Yeah, I know. But Flint needs to get what's coming for him."

"And we'll get him good – just not now. But I mean, winning will be good, too."

"Okay," I replied, and watched as Flint aimed and scored. We were tied now. "Let's win this."

It was Gryffindor's ball now, and Ginny took control of it. She headed for the Slytherin hoops, and passed it to Katie once she was blocked by Urquhart. Katie continued the journey, and was about to try and score when Vaisey got in front of her.

Luckily she was able to readjust her grip, and she passed the quaffle to me. I flew around Vaisey and nearly rammed into Bletchley when I attempted to throw the quaffle.

Unfortunately Bletchley was too quick, and he stopped the quaffle from going through the hoop. He immediately tossed the ball to Flint, and I sighed explosively as I tried to catch up with him.

_Seriously Harry, please catch the snitch!_

I was neck and neck with Flint, and had to keep reminding myself that any little move I made could result in a foul. Flint didn't seem to care, however, as he repeatedly slammed into me to try and get me to move.

At one point, his elbow came up and knocked me in the eye.

_MERLIN!_

I had to decrease my speed because I was temporarily blinded.

_Foul! Foul! FOUL!_

But I was just wishful thinking, because Snape remained silent and Flint flew up to the Gryffindor hoops and scored.

"Christina, you okay?" Jimmy, one of Gryffindor's beaters, hovered next to me.

"Peachy, Jimmy. _Pe__achy_," I replied through gritted teeth, finally removing my hand from my eye.

Jimmy cringed slightly, "Nice shiner there, Christina. Why hasn't Snape called a foul?"

"There's a bruise already?" I asked, scoffing at my rotten luck.

"Just forming – doesn't seem like it'll get much worse, though...whoa – incoming!" Jimmy shouted, and I ducked my head as the bludger raced by, and I watched as Jimmy hit it in the opposite direction.

"Don't expect Snape to call fouls on any of the Slytherins," I explained to Jimmy, bitterness in my tone. "And watch how you play, because Snape _will_ call fouls on _us_."

"Got it, Christina," Jimmy nodded and flew off.

I was about to get back into the game when cheers erupted from the stands. Since nobody on the field scored with the quaffle yet, I knew that could only mean one thing.

Someone caught the snitch.

I held my breath as I looked up, expecting to see one thing, but hoping to see another.

And once I saw the crowd and who exactly was cheering...I knew.

Draco caught the snitch. Slytherin won.

* * *

**A/N: Hello, all! Please don't be mad - I sincerely apologize for not updating sooner. This weekend I had to travel to my cousin's house because I was his**** sponsor at his confirmation, and I had no time at all to write. So - I'm sorry. But, this chapter is the longest by far, so I hope that makes up for it. Also, I think the next chapter will be even better, because lots of things are planned, and we'll get a lot of Draco/Christina interaction. I debated on whether to have Gryffindor or Slytherin win - but I'm happy with my decision, and you'll see why in the next chapter. Anyway, thank you to all my reviewers! You guys are the greatest, and I will definitely give a shoutout in the next update, I promise. R&R :DDDDD**


	34. Ice Ice Baby

**Disclaimer: If I one day directed/created the screenplay for the remake of Harry Potter would I technically own Harry Potter? Wait no I still wouldn't...shit. Well, no I don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

I was not looking forward to going to the Great Hall for breakfast this morning.

I knew that the Slytherins would be gloating like no tomorrow, and it's not as if they didn't do any of that last night.

They won _one_ game and all of a sudden they think they're the best team in existence. Well, they've _always_ that thought that but still...

And they only won because they cheated and Snape was a referee.

If Madame Hooch was there Gryffindor would've won – no doubt.

To make matters worse, I used all of my Bruise-Removal Paste after the last game we had, so now the round shiner on my eye (courtesy of Marcus Flint) would have to stay until Fred and George owled more to Ron on my behalf.

Makeup could only do so much.

"You ready for breakfast?" Hermione asked once I exited the bathroom, looking sullen because I still could barely cover the purple mark around my eye.

"Do I have a choice?" I mumbled, slipping on a cardigan. "I have to face them sooner or later – and I'm no coward."

Hermione pat me on the back, "It's alright Christina, I'm sure they forgot all about it."

* * *

No – they certainly did not forget all about it.

Once Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I entered the Great Hall, the Slytherin table jeered loudly and broke out in a fresh chorus of 'Weasley Is Our King'.

Ron flushed red with embarrassment, and I grabbed onto his sleeve and led him to the Gryffindor table.

"Just ignore them," I muttered, plopping myself down and scooping myself a healthy portion of eggs and toast.

"We can ignore them all we want, but they still won't stop," Harry groaned from beside me. "I felt the snitch on my fingertips...if only I closed my hand sooner," he murmured, shaking his head.

"It's not your fault," I told him. "Harry, please don't think that."

"She's right mate, it's not your fault," Ron agreed, but then his expression fell. "It's mine."

I sighed, "Ron, it isn't your fault _either_."

"But it is, Christina. I let them get to me – the Slytherins. If I only blocked out that bloody song and focused on the game...I would've been able to stop the Slytherins from scoring," Ron complained, looking very disappointed with himself.

"Boys!" I nearly shouted, looking at them emphatically. "We all played a good game, trust me. The Slytherin's cheating and Snape being referee was just rotten luck. It's only the first game of the season; we still have all year to kick their arse."

"I'm sorry – whose arse will you be kicking?" We heard Flint sneering from the Slytherin table, apparently eavesdropping on our conversation. "Because, if I remember correctly, we gave _your_ arse a good kicking last night." The Slytherin table erupted with more cheers and jeers.

"Control your egos, we all know Gryffindor is the better team," Hermione said indignantly from beside me.

The Slytherin table immediately silenced and looked at Hermione coldly.

"Watch who you're talking to, mudblood," Flint said angrily.

"Aye! Take that back!" Ron shouted, his body tense.

"Or what, Weasel? You can barely block a hoop, what could you possibly do to _me_?" Flint scoffed, and the Slytherin table burst with loud laughter.

Ron's eyes darkened, and I knew there would be a fight if this didn't stop.

"Okay, so you won _one_ game, Flint. And if I recall...so did we. And we won ours fair and square. You can celebrate now all you want, but we all know who's going to get the Quidditch Cup in the end," I said, glaring at the whole table before looking back at Flint. "Now kindly bugger off."

"Nice eye you got there, Christina," Flint sneered, ignoring my statements. "Wonder how you got it?"

"Funny story – some oaf elbowed in the face! What a prat, right? He's just very aggressive, I think it's a way to cope with his lack of being _well-endowed_," I shrugged nonchalantly.

Flint's eyes darkened so much that I thought they turned black. He shot up from his bench, knocking over a couple of glasses and plates in the process. His wand was in his hand and that was when I knew there would be trouble.

But I wasn't going to sit here without defending myself. I pulled out my own wand and stood up quickly, meeting him in the middle of the aisle.

"I suggest you take that back, Miro, before things get messy," Flint said coldly.

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully, "You know, _I could_. But...I don't think I will. Can't help the truth, Flint."

By this time some Slytherins gathered around Flint, and Hermione, Harry, and Ron stood behind me.

"Christina, you need to stand down before the teachers come over here. Do you want more detention?" Hermione whispered frantically into my ear.

Ron and Harry, on the other hand, drew their wands out as well, ready to step into action at any movement Flint made.

Draco was with Flint too, and he had his own wand out as well. "You've got quite the mouth there, Miro," Draco said quietly, subtle amusement in his tone.

It was a slight change, though, because before we started whatever we had, he would've been solely annoyed or insulted, and now he was slightly amused.

I decided to play along. "So I've been told," I smirked, looking Draco squarely in the eyes.

"Maybe you need to be taught a lesson," Draco replied, and only I could see the twinkle of pleasure hidden in his eyes.

Flint looked like he agreed, but that was because he thought Draco was talking about a whole other type of _lesson_.

"Or maybe not," I said simply, still looking at Draco. By now, any anger I had towards Flint had morphed into attraction to Draco. I could get Flint back anytime – I still needed to plan with Ginny, anyway. Though it was difficult, I managed to tear my gaze away from Draco's eyes and look at Flint. "I'm not stupid enough to duel with you in the Great Hall, you tosser," I put my wand arm down and glared at Flint with annoyance. "Let me know if you want to settle this the fair way. Until then, so long."

I gave him one last glance before walking forward, pushing passed him.

As I went by Draco, he grabbed my arm inconspicuously and whispered into my ear, "Meet me at the kitchens tonight, after curfew."

I nodded unnoticeably and continued to walk until I exited the Great Hall, with Harry, Ron, and Hermione following me.

"Are you alright, Christina?" Harry asked, walking next to me.

"Mhm," I nodded, shrugging my shoulders.

"You shouldn't have drawn your wand in the Great Hall, Christina," Hermione admonished. "You could've gotten into a lot of trouble!"

"I wasn't seriously going to duel him, Herms," I explained, sighing. "But he drew his wand, and I wasn't going to sit there defenseless."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something again, but Ron cut in this time.

"Nothing happened, Hermione. Don't get so worked up," he said. Hermione had a tendency to overreact at times – it was a fact.

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest indignantly, but stayed silent.

"So, what is there to do on this fine Sunday?" I asked, trying to think of ideas.

"You know who we haven't visited lately?" Harry questioned, and Ron, Hermione, and I turned to him curiously.

"There could be a number of answers to that question – so who?" I replied.

Harry paused for a moment before looking at us with amusement, "Fancy a trip to Hagrid's Hut?"

* * *

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I traveled down the green hills until we reached Hagrid's Hut. I noticed that Hagrid wasn't outside tending to his pumpkins or playing his flute like he usually was. It was slightly odd. I looked to my side and I saw that my friends seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"You think he's alright?" I wondered, walking up to the large door.

"I hope," Harry murmured before knocking firmly a couple of times. "Hagrid it's us – are you here?"

We heard some slight noise coming from the inside of the hut, and seconds later the door slowly opened.

Hagrid peeked out of the small crack and looked down at us.

"Hi Hagrid – are you okay?" Hermione greeted cautiously, trying to gauge his mood.

"Hello all of yeh. Now aint really the best time for yeh lot ter be here...I'm not feelin' ter good..." Hagrid started to close the door, but Harry held out his hand.

"Hagrid, tell us what's wrong," Harry said with concern.

"Can we come in?" Ron asked as well, and Hagrid seemed to be contemplating.

"O' – alright," Hagrid gave in and opened the door fully, allowing us to enter the hut.

It was just how I remembered it - only one room, with hams and pheasants hanging from the ceiling; their aromas wafting through the small hut. A decent sized fireplace decorated the east side of the hut, and I could see a copper kettle in it, boiling water. In the opposite corner stood a massive bed, and on it was a patchwork quilt, very colorful yet shabby.

"Do yeh want tea?" Hagrid asked, walking over to the fireplace which held the copper kettle, now whistling.

We all agreed quietly, so Hagrid pulled out five small mugs went about making the tea.

Hagrid definitely wasn't acting like himself – he seemed out of it and down. I hadn't seen him this way since Umbridge had been around last year.

As Hagrid handed us our mugs, his hands were shaking, causing the glasses to bang together repeatedly. He sat down with his own mug on the large armchair next to the fireplace, and everyone was silent for a few moments.

"Christina - what happened teh yer eye?" Hagrid asked abruptly, apparently just noticing my black eye.

"Quidditch," I replied, "Marcus Flint elbowed me."

"He did _what_?" Hagrid questioned. "That nasty boy...are yeh okay?"

I waved an arm, "Yeah I'm fine."

"I didn't catch the game yesterday, did yeh win?" Hagrid asked.

I bit my lip sharply and looked to Harry and Ron.

"No, we lost," Harry mumbled, looking sullen.

Hagrid nodded slightly.

But that was another thing I noticed was off - Hagrid _never_ missed a Quiddtich game, especially when we were playing.

The hut was filled with silence again, and we each waited for someone to talk.

"Hagrid – would you like to talk about what's wrong?" Hermione asked eventually, taking a sip of her tea.

Hagrid sighed quietly, and closed his eyes. "Yeh lot haven't taken Care of Magical Creatures this year."

I immediately felt a pang of guilt at the hurt in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Hagrid. I..." I started, but fumbled with my words.

"We're taking all N.E.W.T level course this year," Harry explained. "Ron, Christina, and I want to become Aurors...and Hermione wants to work in the Ministry."

"We wouldn't have had time to take your class – even with a Time-Turner, right Hermione?" Ron added.

Hermione nodded, "The entire stock of Time-Turners at the Ministry of Magic was destroyed during the Battle of the Department of Mysteries last year," she informed. "But even without it, we're just taking too many classes."

Hagrid nodded his head stiffly, but I could still see his unease.

"Hagrid," I began, looking at him carefully. "That's not the only thing you're upset about, is it?"

This time, Hagrid let out a low sob and we all immediately straightened.

"Hagrid, what is it?" Harry asked.

"Aragog got sick over the summer...he's dyin'!" Hagrid cried quietly, his tears gathering at the top of his bushy beard.

"That _thing_?" Ron shouted incredulously. "You're worried about that thing?"

Hagrid cried louder, and Hermione elbowed him in the side while Harry gave him a sharp look.

"Well _sorry_ – but if you don't remember Harry, that thing tried to kill us in second year! Forgive me for not being heartbroken," Ron mumbled, holding his side.

"Do you know what he has?" I asked. "Or if there's any way to help him?"

I had no ill will towards Aragog, but I could understand where Ron was coming from. He had a massive phobia of spiders...and he was right, Aragog _did_ try to kill him and Harry.

But Hagrid was really broken up about this, so right now we just needed to give him support.

"Nothin' is workin'," Hagrid groaned pitifully. "I tried feedin' him giant grubs, but he just aint gettin' any better."

"It'll be okay, Hagrid," Hermione consoled. "Whatever happens, we'll be with you."

Hagrid smiled slightly through the tears. "Thanks Hermione...and the rest of yeh. Yeh lot have always been there for me...thank yeh."

"Just let us know if anything changes in his condition...have you visited him lately?" Harry asked.

"I went a couple days ago...he's gettin' weak, Aragog. And his children are gettin' hungry. He aint got a lot of time left," Hagrid answered, sadness in his tone.

Ron nearly dropped his mug of tea, "So you're saying that his children would...would eat him?" Ron's voice turned shrill as he turned to Harry. "Spiders, mate. They're evil!"

"How would you stop that from happening, Hagrid?" Hermione questioned.

"I dunno, Hermione," Hagrid shrugged dejectedly. "I want teh give Aragog a proper burial...so I got teh get his body outta there."

"We'll come and help you, Hagrid," Harry said determinedly.

"Yeh will do no such thing!" Hagrid said sternly. "Yeh think I want yeh lot in the Forest? The acromantulas are gettin' aggressive and desperate," Hagrid then leaned in towards us conspiratorially. "And with You-Know-Who risin' to power again? I wouldn't let yeh lot out there...especially yeh, Harry."

"But you'll get hurt too, Hagrid!" I protested. "If Aragog isn't there to keep his children from harming you, you'll be grossly out numbered."

"I appreciate yer concern, Christina. Yeh know I do. But I know acromantula behavior, and I'll be careful. I'll be fine," Hagrid replied, patting my shoulder gently.

We all were silent once more, before Hagrid sat up, wiping away the rest of his tears.

"Okay, enough of this gloom. It's nice to see all of yeh, I was wonderin' when yeh would come visit me," Hagrid turned to Harry. "Harry, how was yer summer with the _Dursleys_?"

Harry chuckled darkly, "Same as always," he replied, shrugging. "It's good to be back at Hogwarts."

"And Hermione, how are yer parents?" Hagrid asked.

"Very well, thank you," Hermione answered.

"Ron – how's the family?"

"Fred and George are busy with the shop, you know, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. And mum and dad are both fine," Ron said.

Hagrid finally turned to me, "And Christina...how are the _Miros_?" He spoke the name with animosity, and I couldn't blame him. Everyone knew that the name 'Miro' was associated with Voldemort and Death Eaters.

"It's the same," I said, my shoulders slumping. "Not so good."

Hagrid grew concerned, "Are yeh safe, Christina? Did anythin' happen?"

I momentarily contemplated my answer. "No – I'm okay," I finally replied, lying.

Why should I worry Hagrid when he had enough to worry about?

* * *

It was 9:13pm, precisely thirteen minutes after curfew.

Hermione and Ron had left five minutes ago, going to do their prefect duties.

The common room was rather empty, since all the students were going to bed early for classes the next morning. Harry, Ginny, and I were the only ones still there, just talking.

Once Harry started to doze off, he gave us a farewell and retreated to his dorm, leaving just Ginny and I.

Now I just needed to find a way to leave – I had to meet Draco at the kitchens. I would constantly look from Ginny to the door, even while she was talking, trying to think of a solution.

"Somewhere you need to be?" I heard Ginny ask in amusement a couple seconds later.

Apparently she caught on.

I sighed, deciding to just tell her. I mean, she sort of knew anyway.

"I have to meet Draco in the kitchens now," I said quietly.

Ginny immediately smirked, "Oh really?" she questioned. "How are things going with that, by the way?"

I blushed red, for some reason, and quickly turned my head. "Fine," I mumbled.

"You're having fun?" Ginny asked.

"Lots," I chuckled, grinning slightly.

"So, how long do you think this is gonna last?"

I shrugged, "I honestly don't know...everything is going so well. Though he drives me crazy sometimes – scratch that – _all the time_."

Ginny raised an eyebrow and gazed at me carefully, "Christina," she began, seriously, "You don't...fancy him, do you?"

My expression fell, "W-what gives you that impression?"

Ginny bit her lip, "I don't know. I just see...never mind," She shook her head. "Just remember Christina – it's alright to have fun with him, but you can't fall in love with him."

I could feel the color draining from my face, "I know that," I said quietly. "It's impossible."

_Is it? Is it impossible?_

"Good," Ginny seemed relieved by my answer. "Well then, go meet Malfoy and have your fun. I'll see you later. And don't get caught!"

"I'll do my best," I chuckled, but I was still uneasy about our previous comments.

Peering out of the common room entrance, I looked both ways to see if any prefects were coming.

Seeing none, I slipped myself out of the portrait and headed towards the staircase leading to the Hufflepuff basement, where the kitchens were.

Luckily I didn't have to travel a great distance, so I quickly found myself descending the stairs. The painting that lead to the kitchens came up on my right. It was a bowl of fruit, and one such fruit was a pear. I tickled it slightly and it began to squirm and laugh. Moments later it transformed into a green door-knob, and I was able to open the entrance.

The kitchen was a gigantic, high-ceilinged room with four tables identical to the ones in the Great Hall, and they were also in the exact same position. There were large amounts of pots and pans piled around the stone walls on counter-tops and stoves, and a large brick fireplace decorated the other end of the hall away from the door.

My eyes finally fell upon the table closest to the wall, and I spotted Draco sitting there, carefully gazing at me.

"I was wondering when you would show up," he said quietly, getting up from the bench slowly.

"Worried I wouldn't come?" I teased as he got closer.

A small smirk graced his face when he finally reached me. "No, you'll always _come_."

It was more of a promise than a statement, and my stomach clenched tightly.

I raised my lips up to kiss him, but Draco slipped away quickly and headed for the food storage, leaving me frustrated and confused.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, scanning the food selection.

"A bit. Are you?" I replied, looking at him curiously.

Draco shrugged nonchalantly, "Not so much for food," he said simply, still searching the food.

My insides fluttered, and I bit down on my lip.

_How can he say things like that and keep so calm?_

"We can have a bit of dessert, if you'd like?" Draco finally turned to look at me, his icy eyes practically penetrating through my soul.

I could only nod, not trusting my voice to speak.

Draco nodded as well, and pulled out some chocolate pudding. "Can you get two spoons?"

I nodded again and went to fetch the utensils. When I turned back around, I saw that Draco already brought the pudding to the table and was sitting down, waiting for me.

Walking over to the table, I took a seat next to Draco and handed him his spoon.

Draco Malfoy and I were sharing chocolate pudding – what a crazy world.

"Romantic enough for you?" Draco murmured, scooping out a spoonful of the pudding.

I grinned cheekily, "Oh – _definitely_," I said, nodding. "It's actually making me slightly suspicious. Did you poison the pudding before I got here?" I accused teasingly.

Draco raised his eyebrows. "I only wish I thought of that sooner," he said, and laughed when I hit his arm. "Fine then, I'll just have to eat a bite first to prove that, no, I did _not_ sabotage a good pudding."

Draco lifted the spoonful of chocolate pudding to his lips and I nearly internally combusted when his tongue peeked out and practically _caressed_ the spoon, before dipping it slowly into his mouth.

"That looks good," I whispered, not even knowing myself if I was talking about the pudding or what Draco was doing.

Draco smirked with amusement. "Then maybe you should taste it."

I was just about to grab my spoon when I saw Draco's face moving closer to mine, and I got his real meaning.

When Draco's lips touched against my own, the first thing I tasted was the chocolate pudding.

And it was good.

The next thing that hit me was Draco's familiar mint, and I smiled into the kiss unconsciously.

When Draco pulled away I was still smiling, and he looked at me curiously.

"How is your eye?" he asked, and for a moment I was confused.

_My eye? What – OH._

I instinctively raised my hand to cover my black eye from Draco's view. I completely forgot about it before coming here.

Draco rolled his eyes and scoffed, latching onto my wrist. "Why are you covering it up now? I just saw it."

"I know...but still..." I trailed off pathetically. "It's embarrassing."

"Well, what do you want me to say to quell your worries?" Draco asked patiently, completely amused.

I narrowed my one good eye at him, "I don't need you to say anything," I stated stubbornly.

Draco chuckled, "Perhaps...purple is a good color on you?"

I hit him again with the hand not covering my eye. "You're a git, you know that?"

"I know. I have a reputation to maintain and all," Draco said sarcastically. "And you still haven't answered my question. How's your eye feeling?"

I shrugged, "It's sore...tender. And I have bloody Flint to thank for that. Seriously, can you 'accidently' punch him in the face or something?"

Draco laughed loudly, "That would be disloyal to my House, but I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you," I said, eating a spoonful of pudding. "But hey - what was that song about at the Quidditch game? You know that was uncalled for."

Draco shrugged, "I'm still not sure how Weasel managed to make it onto the team. Are you just letting people walk on now?"

I hit his shoulder sharply, "Stop. Gryffindor has a great team this year."

"I'm sure. But I do admit, you're rather good. But to answer your question, we made the song to rattle Weasel. It must've worked since we won...oh wait, that was because _I_ caught the snitch," Draco said smugly.

I rolled my eyes, "You must be so proud," I said sarcastically, but then tilted my head. "But good job to you. It's rather difficult to be better Harry."

"Better than Harry? Better than 'The Chosen Captain', 'The Boy Who Scored' or whatever they're calling him these days," Draco sighed with annoyance.

I shook my head and unconsciously reached up to itch my eye. A wave of pain shot through my head, and I clutched my eye in pain, pouting slightly.

"Would you like me to put ice on it?" Draco asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

"My eye?" I questioned stupidly.

Draco tilted his head to the side. "Well yes, I thought that would've been obvious. Unless, there's another part of your body you need me to-"

"No, no ice," I muttered, shaking my head.

"I think it'll help," Draco insisted, and moments later I heard him say, "_Accio ice_."

Seconds later some type of icepack was in Draco's grasp, and he was pulling my hand away from my eye. He glanced at the bruise for a second or two, before brushing his thumb against it. I fought to keep from flinching.

"It's not too bad," Draco observed. "I'm surprised you haven't gotten rid of it by magical means."

"Wow, why would I do that? I just love having a discolored eye socket, it's sexy, don't you think?" I began sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "I'm out my Bruise-Removal Paste, you idiot."

"Hey, don't be hostile to the help," Draco murmured, holding up the ice. "Now, turn around and lie back across the bench, and put your head on my lap."

I glanced at him for a few moments before following his instructions. I swiveled my body so that I was facing away from Draco, and in a quick movement, I leaned back and placed my head down onto his legs, draping my arms across my stomach.

Looking up at Draco, I noticed he was already staring down at me when an unreadable expression on his face.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked.

"I don't know. Why?" Draco responded softly.

"Your face...it's weird."

Draco raised an eyebrow, "At least there's no discoloration."

I sighed explosively and tried to sit up, "See – I know this was going to be a bad-"

Draco gently pushed my shoulders back down and chuckled. "Stop moving," instructed, and then placed the ice against my eye. "_You're_ the one who insulted _me_."

"I just meant that I didn't recognize the expression you had on," I muttered petulantly.

"Ah – I see," Draco said, nodding.

I looked up at him with my good eye, "So, are you going to tell me?"

Draco pursed his lips in contemplation. "No."

I tried to sit up again, but Draco held me against his lap.

"_Stop moving_," he repeated.

"Then tell me."

"I'm not going to tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because...?"

"Because I don't want to," Draco said in a tone signaling the end of that topic of discussion.

"You're a-"

"Git? Yeah, so I've been told," Draco smirked.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes, and I faintly mused at how comfortable Draco's lap was. Turning my head to the side slightly, I inhaled his familiar scent as I closed my eyes. I reached one of my arms up above my head, and took a hold of Draco's free hand.

Draco flinched at first, but I inwardly smiled when I felt his fingers interlock with mine, grasping tightly. I let my mind drift, telling myself I would only relax for a couple minutes.

Well, it _seemed_ like a couple of minutes later when I felt someone gently nudging my shoulder.

"Christina," Draco whispered into my ear.

I groaned and tried to turn onto my side, trying to stay in my sleep state.

I heard Draco laugh, "Christina – wake up. We have to go."

"No," I moaned, keeping my eyes closed.

"Christina, come on," Draco began to lift me off of his lap, and I finally opened my eyes.

"What time is it?" I questioned sleepily.

"1am."

I shot up off the bench quickly. "I slept for four hours?"

"Just about," Draco replied. "I dozed off too and woke up now."

"Merlin, we have to get to our common rooms," I said.

Hermione would definitely be back now and wondering where I was.

Draco put the ice and chocolate pudding away, and met me at the kitchen exit.

"Are we going to split up?" I asked.

Draco shook his head, "I'll walk you to your common room."

"But that's going out of your way," I replied.

Draco shrugged indifferently, "It's fine."

I smiled slightly and exited the kitchen, with Draco behind me. We walked quickly and quietly, keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble, and we finally managed to make it to the Gryffindor common room.

"Thank you for the chocolate pudding and for putting ice on my eye, Draco," I smiled at him.

"It was my pleasure...but one more thing..." Draco trailed off, and drew out his wand.

I immediately tensed up as he pointed it at my face, waiting for him to curse me or something. His face twisted in concentration, and moments later orange spurts of light came out of the tip of his wand, and a tingling feeling washed over my skin.

"There," Draco said, putting his wand away. "Good as new."

I instinctively put a hand to my eye and was surprised when I felt no pain. "You fixed my eye?"

Draco nodded.

"How?" I asked.

"My secret," Draco smirked, and leaned his face in close to mine. "Goodnight, Christina," He gave me a chaste kiss on the mouth, but pulled away when I tried to deepen it. "Ah, ah, we have classes tomorrow, and if we start that, I don't think we'll get much sleep."

I grinned widely and nodded my head in agreement. "Until tomorrow, then. Goodnight, Draco," I said quietly.

Draco gave me one last smirk before walking off down the hall. I turned to give the password to the Fat Lady when I heard Draco's voice again.

"And, Christina?"

I turned back and looked at him expectantly.

"Bruised or not, you're still beautiful...for a Gryffindor."

I had to put a hand in front of my mouth to stop myself from laughing.

And as Draco strolled off down the hall, a realization dawned on me.

I could.

I really could fall in love with him.

* * *

**A/N: LONGEST CHAPTER YET! Hope you enjoyed. And now for shoutouts...**

**Thank you to __****xXMizz Alec VolturixX, chaansan, Potterhead313, Snipe Hunter 98, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, all the Guests, Megan, Nicky-Maree, Sasha, oXxgeorgiaxXo, misslagear, Notsilveraura, Alice-Ann Wonderland, StoryWriter23, SideshowJazz1, xxLiveLoveReadxx, ThePhantomismyLove, Xylia1014, xXChickenButt98Xx, maldilove, LoveIt2, BookButterfly2, Scrt Vlntn, MrsMoonshine, and leathyde!**

******Thank you for your reviews and continued support. It means so much.**


	35. Owl

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, it wouldn't be the same. Only J.K Rowling can make us cry like Niagara Fucking Falls.**

* * *

The Great Hall was buzzing with life that morning.

Just kidding.

Every student looked to be half dead, barely keeping their eyes open as they lazily pushed around the content of their breakfast plates.

But this sight wasn't unexpected. It was Monday morning, after all.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I all sat down at the Gryffindor table and began to pile food onto our plates. Out of the four of us, only Hermione seemed to be awake and alert, as I noticed Ron completely missing his cup when he poured himself some pumpkin juice.

I had no idea how I was going to get through classes today. I wasn't able to get to sleep last night for an abundance of reasons.

Hermione was still awake when I got back to the dorm and was hounding me on where I was. I had to make up some excuse that I was taking a midnight stroll to help myself get tired.

She bought it until she realized that I didn't have my black eye anymore.

So _then_ I had to think of another excuse and say that I found a spell that removed the bruise and did it myself.

That she was a bit skeptical of, but she stopped asking me questions and went to sleep.

After that mild crisis was averted, I was still awake in my bed, just _thinking_.

I was trying desperately to suppress any feelings I might be feeling towards Draco, but as the days went on it was becoming more and more clear.

I actually fancied him. The little git got under my skin and made me _care_ about him.

And I was slowly falling in love with him. Day by day the feeling was getting deeper.

And that scared me. It scared me so much.

I knew it was wrong. I knew it. But I just couldn't help how I felt.

I even contemplated at one point ending what we have now, just so I could get out before I lost the ability to stop myself.

But I didn't dwell too much on that; the thinking would drive me crazy.

_However_, the rest of the night was spent thinking about Draco's feelings.

He seemed...different. In more ways than one.

I still couldn't figure him out, but I needed to try.

We were two different people.

He was a Slytherin, and I was a Gryffindor.

He believed in pureblood supremacy, and I was a 'blood traitor'.

He was cold and shut down and I was warm and welcoming.

But in the end, we were merely different sides of the same coin.

We shared the same life, but we portrayed the opposite sides of it.

How would it ever work if he had his beliefs and I had mine?

A noise above my head brought me out of my thoughts and signaled that the morning mail had arrived. Owls flew around my head, and I smiled once I spotted Hedwig. She swooped down and landed next to Harry.

Mixed in with the owls was Fane, and I couldn't help but watch as he traveled towards the Slytherin table and landed in front of Draco.

Draco looked up and caught my gaze, but instead of looking away, I just gave a small smile.

He gave a slight one back, but I had to turn my head back when I felt a rush of wind by my ear.

In front of me sat a small tawny owl, with checkered brown and white feathers and dark black eyes. It had a stocky, medium build and a patch of light brown feathers framing its face, almost like a heart.

It was just sitting there, not moving and silently studying me.

"Uh – hello," I began cautiously. "I think you've got the wrong person. I don't have an owl."

The owl squinted its eyes like it was offended I questioned its judgment. It still didn't move, however.

"Christina, I think it's for you," Harry murmured. "It has a letter tied to its leg, open it maybe?"

"But what if the letter isn't for me?" I questioned, still looking at the owl.

"Christina, the bloody owl isn't moving. I think it's safe to say the letter is for you," Ron said, raising his eyebrows.

After giving him a look I cautiously reached out to untie the letter from the owl's leg. It offered no resistance; just continuing to stare at me. I snatched the letter back quickly and wasted no time with opening it. I started to read.

_Christina,_

_Thank you for replying to my letter. I'm sorry I didn't reply sooner, I had to relocate for a while because some Death Eaters seemed to be onto my location. But I evaded them. I'm okay for now. How are things with you? Have you been careful and safe? Like I told you before, the Death Eaters are targeting muggleborns and those who support them...even muggles themselves. Your name is fairly popular now, being a Miro and all. Harry needs to stay safe too; he's even more at risk than you, as you probably are aware. Keep your friends close, Christina. How is Hogwarts? And Dumbledore? What is he doing? And as for my location, I can't disclose much. I'm still in England. I'm not too far from Hogwarts, but there's enough distance to remain inconspicuous. I can't say much more. Buckbeak has taken over his own bedroom. I must say that even for a hippogriff he's rather picky. He misses Hagrid, though. Buckbeak sends his love, and so do I, Christina. Please be careful and respond when you can._

_Padfoot_

_PS: The owl that delivered this letter? She's yours. Name her whatever you wish and I hope you find her to be a good fit._

The letter fell from my hands and I let out a small scream, which made the whole Gryffindor table look at me. Even the owl, apparently mine, jumped back in alarm.

I had to work on controlling my breathing and heart rate before I could even think about addressing the shocked faces of my housemates.

"The owl..." I managed to get out. "She's...she's...mine."

"What?" Hermione questioned, snatching the letter from my hand. She quickly scanned the contents until she reached the PS. Her eyes widened as she looked from the letter to the owl. "Sirius got you an owl?"

"Looks like," I said quietly, locking my gaze with my new pet.

"Bloody hell – that's brilliant!" Ron shouted, clapping me on the back. "So what are you going to name her?"

A mini panic attack hit me. "I have no idea. I mean – I've never had to _name_ anything before," I turned quickly to Harry. "How did you name Hedwig?"

"I saw the name in _A History of Magic_. I was new to the Wizarding World, so I just decided on that," Harry shrugged. "You can name her whatever you want, Christina."

"Just not some rubbish like Beaky or Fluffy," Ron input.

"Well, we all know what happened the last time we encountered a 'pet' named Fluffy," Harry muttered, and we all burst out into laughter.

"Definitely not naming her Fluffy," I said in between chuckles, feeling slightly better. "The _real_ Fluffy kind of ruined the name for me."

"So, do you have any names in mind?" Hermione asked, gazing at the owl in wonder.

"I don't know," I contemplated internally. "I want it to mean something, you know? To be special." I bit my lip as I was racked with indecision.

Ron suddenly straightened in his seat, "You know Christina, we _have_ been friends since before first year. Maybe-"

"Ron, she's not going to name her owl after you," Hermione cut in, rolling her eyes.

Ron threw Hermione a look, "You don't know that, 'Ermione. So, Christina?"

I laughed loudly, "I don't think so Ron. And besides, she's a girl."

Ron slumped his shoulders, "So?" he mumbled. "Ronette could work..."

I continued to laugh while I still tried to think of a name.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind. "I think I got it," I said, turning to Hermione. "Hey Herms, remember that muggle book you lent me? Les Miserables?"

"Mhm," Hermione nodded. "It was a good book, wasn't it?"

"One of my favorites," I agreed wholeheartedly. "My favorite character was Enjolras. He led the revolution against the 'enemy', trying to make a change for the better. I think that's what we're doing here, too. So maybe if I just shorten it to Jolra? Would that work?" I asked.

Hermione smiled, "I think that sounds wonderful."

Ron huffed, "I still say Ronette would be better."

"Oh stop it, Ron," Hermione scolded lightly.

I looked up at the owl and gazed at her carefully. "Are you alright with Jolra?"

The owl immediately hooted, and I took it as a yes.

When all the owls started to fly back to the Owlrey, Hedwig and Jolra joined them, and I sat back in my seat with astonishment.

_I have a bloody owl._

* * *

Today was Friday, December 20th.

Which meant...

NO MORE CLASSES!

Well, at least until Christmas Break was over.

Classes today went by rather quickly, which was good, but Snape gave _massive_ amounts of homework, which wasn't.

Seriously, he was the only professor who did that, and I had an itching suspicion he told the Slytherins it was 'optional'. He kept that juicy piece of information from the Gryffindors, however.

Gryffindor also had a Quidditch match tonight, and for that I was excited, but it was against Hufflepuff. That usually was a good sign, but the captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team was Zacharias Smith – my ex-boyfriend.

And we weren't on such good terms.

I could only hope that we would put our differences aside and just play Quidditch.

But things rarely went the easy way with me, did they? So I expected at least _some_ trouble.

"Christina, are you ready to go to dinner?" Hermione asked, and I sat up from the couch, startled. I was so lost in thought I tuned the rest of the world out. Hermione smiled knowingly, "Thinking again?" she asked, amusement on her face. "You do quite a lot of that."

I pursed my lips, "You're one to talk," I muttered good-naturedly.

Hermione shrugged, "You're right, Christina. I tend to think constantly too. I guess that's why we're best friends, we're so alike?"

I burst out laughing, "'We're so alike'? Hermione, are you joking? We're _barely_ alike!"

Hermione started to chuckle as well, "I guess I spoke too soon."

I nodded with amusement, "You definitely did. But I think that's why our friendship is so strong. Because we're so different. You know, it's like two puzzle pieces. If they were both the same, how would they fit? But if they each have their own curves and nooks, they'll mesh easier."

Hermione glanced at me for a few seconds, "Okay Christina, I think that's enough thinking for you. You're actually starting to make sense."

I laughed again and nodded in agreement, "I do believe you are right. Besides, I'm hungry!"

"And you need to eat for the Quidditch match after dinner, you'll need your strength," Hermione reminded me.

"I know, but I'm more worried about Ron. He looked positively dreadful the whole day, and I don't think it's because he'll miss going to classes for two weeks," I said as Hermione and I started to leave the common room.

"I'm worried about him," Hermione admitted, "No matter what I do; he's just too nervous and doubting. It's because of that stupid song the Slytherins created. Everywhere we go, someone is singing it. We even heard _Luna_ humming it!"

"You've got to admit, the tune is quite catchy," I murmured, but Hermione shot me a look. "But I know! I'll try to talk to him, but I think he'll listen to you more, Hermione."

Hermione flushed slightly, and I smiled knowingly.

I've been waiting years for Hermione and Ron to get together, and it looked like this year would be _the year._

It wasn't obvious, but I could tell that there was something there.

But if I told Harry I knew he would brush it off. That's what he did when I confronted him about Ginny.

Ginny, on the other hand, was more forthcoming with her feelings. After all, it was no secret that she fancied Harry since her first year.

"I will try to talk to him again," Hermione said in a quiet voice. "But what about you? Isn't Zacharias the Hufflepuff Quidditch captain?"

I groaned loudly, making everyone in the corridor turn to me. "_Don't_ remind me of that."

* * *

"Ron, you need to eat," Hermione instructed softly, pushing his empty plate towards him. "Would you like some potatoes? Or maybe some steak – I know that's your favorite."

Ron huffed, still not accepting the food.

"Mate, you need to eat. How are you gonna play on an empty stomach?" Harry said, his mouth full of vegetables.

"Then maybe I won't play!" Ron uttered his first words during dinner. "I'm only going to lose the game for Gryffindor."

"That's not true, Ron," I insisted strongly. "You're a great keeper. You have to be because we wouldn't have picked you for the team otherwise."

"You're biased because we're mates," Ron mumbled. "McLaggen would've been better than me. Why didn't _he_ make the team? He only missed one goal."

Hermione suddenly bit her lip and a guilty expression crossed her face.

_Interesting._ I vowed to question her on that later.

"McLaggen is good, I'll admit, but you're better," I replied, trying to give him confidence.

"Eat and you'll feel better, Ron," Harry said, continuing to devour his dinner. He was going to need a lot of energy for tonight, chasing after the snitch.

I heard movement coming from the opposite side of the table, so I looked up and noticed Lavender Brown standing over Ron's shoulder.

He didn't seem to notice, so when he made eye contact with me, I stared pointedly behind him.

Ron took the hint and turned around, an expression of surprise planting itself on his face.

"Hi Ron," Lavender gushed, her curly blond locks bouncing in her exuberance.

"Uh – Lavender," Ron greeted awkwardly.

Lavender had never been one to be buddy-buddy with us; she usually associated herself with the Patil twins and our other roommates.

"Good luck with the game tonight, Ron," Lavender continued, smiling extremely wide. "I know you're going to do great."

Ron nodded his thanks and look away, back down at his empty plate.

I looked at Hermione quickly, and noticed her pursed lips and squinted eyes.

_Uh oh._

"What was that about?" I wondered out loud, peering at Ron curiously.

"No idea," Ron shrugged slightly. "She's been trying to talk to me all week. I mean, it's not like she's noticed me before now," He shook his head. "Girls – I just don't get them."

Hermione huffed quietly by my side, but said nothing more.

Moments later dinner was finished, and Dumbledore was taking the podium.

"Good evening students," he began addressing the Great Hall. "There are a few things I need to announce tonight."

The students all began to murmur quietly, and Dumbledore waited patiently for the chatter to die down.

"First off – Professor Slughorn would like me to announce that he is having a Christmas party for his Slug Club on December 22nd," Dumbledore looked to Slughorn who nodded enthusiastically. "Each member is allowed to bring a plus one."

I scoffed quietly. After the meeting on the train, Slughorn didn't invite me back to the Slug Club.

I had no ties to my 'influential' family, and my grades were not top notch enough to stand alone.

Ron and I were actually the only ones out of our immediate group of friends who weren't in the club.

Harry, Hermione, and even Ginny were members, however.

But it didn't bother me, and it didn't bother Ron either.

Dumbledore continued again, "Secondly, I thought in the spirit of Christmas that all students staying at Hogwarts would like some type of formal outing. So on December 23rd Hogwarts will be having a Christmas Ball."

Students in the Great Hall cheered, while others murmured excitedly to themselves.

"A Christmas Ball?" Hermione questioned.

"I nodded, "I guess like the Yule Ball but for Christmas?"

Hermione frowned, "But we have no dresses?"

But Dumbledore addressed that point before I could.

"For the Christmas break only, we will be opening Hogsmeade to Hogwarts students. We have extended the necessary safety precautions, and have deemed it safe. So you will be able to travel there and get anything you need. But I must urge you to always use caution."

"I've missed Hogsmeade," Harry said excitedly. "You lot want to go tomorrow?"

"I'm in," I said, and Hermione and Ron nodded from beside me.

Dumbledore spoke again, "If you wish to travel home for the holidays, the first train will leave tonight, and last train will leave December 24th. Now, I know that many of you are excited for the impending Quidditch game. So you are dismissed."

All the students in the Great Hall exited happily, all talking about the Christmas Ball, Hogsmeade, and the Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff Quidditch game.

It was definitely going to be an interesting break.

* * *

**A/N: Hey all! This chapter is a bit smaller than my previous ones, but I wanted to address a few points. Anyway, first to my reviewers...thank you! Next, if you have been wondering what celebrity Christina looks like or resembles, I do have someone in mind. But I won't say it, because I want you all to picture Christina how you like. But, if you are curious, you can PM me and I will be happy to share :)To the Guest reviewer who said that I didn't post their review...I didn't remove or deliberately not post your review. I'm sorry. Maybe it was eaten up by the site? I do thank you for the review, though, and hope you review again. Thirdly, I've always wanted to write a Yule Ball type scene, but I couldn't have the Yule Ball...so a Christmas Ball was the next best thing! I'm gonna have some fun with that :D Oh and in the book the Slug Club Christmas party was on the 20th. I had to move it to the 22nd for plot reasons. Anyway...I think that's it. Enjoy! :D**


	36. Hogsmeade

**Disclaimer: I'm obsessed with Panera Bread and I don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Quidditch teams took to the pitch, and we watched as the stands filled with the amassing crowds.

There were mostly Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students, but among them I could spot some groups of Ravenclaws and Slytherins.

I narrowed my gaze as I came across the Slytherins, trying to see if I could spot Draco.

But from what I could see, he wasn't there.

A pang of hurt swelled through my body, and I tried to push the irrational pain aside. It never bothered me before when Draco wasn't at the games when just Gryffindor played, so why did it bother me now?

I shook my head, dispelling any distracting thoughts. Somehow it was better this way. He wouldn't be a distraction. And Merlin knew that I needed all the focus I could manage when dealing with _Zacharias_.

The guy was a drama queen like no other. I seriously considered going on strike against dating after I broke up with him.

"Idiot ex-boyfriend alert," Ginny whispered in my ear, and I looked up to see Zacharias walking forward, followed by the rest of the Hufflepuff team.

We were on good terms with everyone – excepted Zacharias, of course.

"Fancy seeing you here, Christina," Zacharias sneered, crossing his arms over his chest in an effort to look intimidating.

I faced the likes of Death Eaters before – someone like Zacharias couldn't possibly scare me.

I crossed my own arms. "Yes, very fancy," I began sarcastically, nodding my head, "Seeing each other during a _Gryffindor_ versus _Hufflepuff_ game? How coincidental."

Zacharias scowled, "Shut up," he said petulantly, almost childlike. "We'll see you on the field, loser."

Zacharias walked away quickly and I sighed. So much for putting our differences aside.

"Is a Bat Bogey Hex in order?" Ginny asked, glaring after Zacharias. Most Gryffindors had an immense dislike for Zacharias too; he just was a genuinely annoying guy.

"Perhaps...we'll see how the game goes," I murmured and turned to Harry, who was giving Ron a pep talk. "Hey Harry!" I called out.

Harry gave Ron another pat on the back before jogging over. "What's going on?"

"Have you seen the Hufflepuff team this year?" I questioned curiously.

"Eh – a few times," Harry shrugged.

"Are they any good?"

Harry pursed his lips in contemplation, "They're _alright_. Not too aggressive, they have more passive plays. The chasers are rather good, though, so we'll need to use a good offensive strategy."

I nodded, going over plays in my head. "Sounds good. Who's the referee?"

"Hooch," Ginny replied, gazing as Madame Hooch came onto the field with the ball set. "Thank Merlin."

I agreed heartily and turned when I heard Madame Hooch instruct both teams to meet at the center of the field.

Before Ron could fly up and man our goal, I tapped him on the shoulder and leaned in close to him.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

Ron cringed, "Maybe," he replied with uncertainly. "We'll see."

"Just play, Ron. Don't worry about anything but playing Quidditch. Can you do that?"

"I can try," Ron answered honestly.

I smiled and put my arm around his shoulder, "That's all I'm asking. I know you're great Ron, and your friends do too. You just got to show it to the rest of Hogwarts now."

Suddenly Ron pulled me in for a tight hug, and I slowly wrapped my arms around his back, aware that both teams and people in the stands were watching us. I pat him awkwardly a couple times before pulling away.

"Let's play," I said determinedly, and Ron nodded before hopping onto his broom and flying into position.

"Are both teams ready?" Madame Hooch asked once all players were in position.

All the players nodded in confirmation.

Madame Hooch first released the snitch, and it quickly dashed in the opposite direction. I could see Harry's eyes following it, and with a sharp turn of my head I noticed the Hufflepuff's seeker, Summerby, doing the same thing.

I wasn't nervous. Summerby was good, but Harry was the _best_.

Madame Hooch released the bludger next, and it whipped passed our heads, nearly smacking Zacharias in the process. It took all of my will power to keep myself from laughing.

Finally Madame Hooch lifted the quaffle and held it in her hands. "I want a fair game – from all of you," she instructed, glancing at both teams. "Good luck."

Madame Hooch ducked low, and then threw the quaffle high into the air.

And the game began.

One of the Hufflepuff chasers took possession of the quaffle first and darted straight towards our hoops.

While Slytherin usually used aggression in their defensive and offensive maneuvers, the Hufflepuffs seemed to use agility and patience, staying true to their traits.

When Ginny dove in for a steal, the Hufflepuff chaser tossed the quaffle to Zacharias, who was open to the right. Once the quaffle was in his hands he shot off, and stopped only to line up his shot.

He threw the quaffle with accuracy, but moments before it entered the left hoop Ron caught it, earning cheers from the stands. I turned to Zacharias who looked absolutely livid.

_Good you big idiot._

I grit my teeth and scanned the pitch again. The ball was now in Katie's grasp, and she was shooting full speed to the Hufflepuff's hoops. After the game I really needed to get tips from her as to how to increase my speed while flying.

The Hufflepuffs seemed to be better with defense than offense because Katie managed to get to the hoops with no resistance, where she threw the quaffle and scored.

The stands were full of cheers, and I had a gut feeling that Gryffindor would own the game.

* * *

I was right.

Gryffindor ended up winning by a landslide, though Hufflepuff played a good game.

Our victory was mostly due to Harry's catching of the snitch, but it was Ron who deserved all the praise tonight.

He _killed_ it out there.

Every time the Hufflepuffs tried to score, he pulled off an agile maneuver and stopped them.

As the game progressed I could see him growing more confident, and I couldn't help but smile as he watched the crowd cheering his name.

Oh yes – he was definitely a keeper for keeper.

* * *

Back in the Gryffindor common room, our cheers were probably heard around Hogwarts. Ron was hoisted up on Dean and Seamus' shoulders, and watched in awe as the Gryffindors started singing 'Weasley Is Our King' with our own twist.

_"Weasley is our King,_

_Weasley is our King,_

_He didn't let the Quaffle in_

_Weasley is our King._

_Weasley can save anything,_

_He never leaves a single ring,_

_That's why Gryffindors all sing:_

_Weasley is our King."_

Harry, Hermione, and I were cheering off into the corner, very proud of our friend.

"He played a great game," Harry commended.

I nudged him in the shoulder, "That he did, and so did you."

"And you too!" Harry replied with a wide smile.

"I knew he could do it," Hermione said proudly, smiling along with us.

We watched as Ron was plopped back down to the ground...and then everything happened so fast.

Lavender went bumbling through the crowd until she stood directly in front of Ron...and then she grabbed him and _kissed_ him.

The whole common room cheered and hooted, while my mouth practically went down to the floor. Harry was caught between feeling happy for Ron and dismayed for Hermione, while _Hermione_ went wide eyed and disappeared from the common room in a flash.

I sighed, knowing Hermione was hurt. I nudged Harry in the arm and nodded my head to where Hermione went. He frowned, and we both followed the direction she took, hoping to console her.

Once we got to where she was, we saw, and heard, her softly crying, and I got a pang of sorrow in my heart. Harry and I slowly approached her, and once we made ourselves known Hermione barely glanced at us. I guess she assumed we would be the ones to come.

Around her where tiny birds, and I recognized the spell as _Avis, _the Bird-Conjuring Charm.

"Just...practicing," she muttered quietly, but I think she knew we wouldn't buy it.

"Well...they're really good. You're always good, Hermione," Harry said.

Oh – well maybe _I_ just didn't buy it.

"Hermione – you know...you know..." I paused. What could I say? 'You know Ron fancies you?' 'You know he doesn't have feelings for Lavender?'

I knew both of those things, but did _she_?

So instead of finishing my sentence, I just sat down next to her and put my head in the crook of her neck, rubbing her back in small circles.

"It'll be okay," I managed to say instead.

Hermione rested one of her hands on my arm and squeezed, before looking up to Harry.

"Harry – how does it feel?" she questioned quietly. "When you see Ginny with another boy?"

Harry froze momentarily, before slowly taking a seat next to Hermione. He opened his mouth to respond, but Hermione beat him to it.

"I know," she said. "_We_ know," She tilted her head towards me. "We see the way you look at her," She suddenly laughed. "You're our best friend...you think we wouldn't notice?"

Harry laughed slightly but still didn't say anything; I think he too was trying to come to terms with his own feelings.

Suddenly we heard laughing in the distance, and then two bodies stumbled into our line of vision.

Ron and Lavender.

Once they noticed they weren't alone, Ron froze while Lavender began giggling nervously.

"Oops," she said in between giggles. "I think this room is taken."

Ron looked around awkwardly, before looking right at Hermione.

"What's with the birds?" he asked, fighting Lavender's attempts to pull him away.

Hermione pulled away from my grasp abruptly and stood up. She walked directly to Ron before stopping and snapping, "_Oppugno_."

The tiny birds flying around our heads suddenly darted towards Ron, who ran quickly towards the door with a worried and confused expression.

Once he was gone, Hermione's tears fell freely again, and I beckoned for her to come sit with Harry and I once more.

Like me, I knew Hermione didn't cry very often, and it had to be something very sensitive for her to be showing such an emotion.

Hermione found her place again between Harry and I, and she leaned her head against Harry's shoulder.

"It feels like this, Hermione," Harry spoke softly, and none of us said anything more. There was nothing _to_ say.

* * *

Isn't Saturday supposed to be the best day of the week?

Suddenly that theory is unlikely.

I woke up early this morning after Hermione's urging, and proceeded to get dressed for Hogsmeade.

That was until I remembered a very unpleasant fact.

I didn't have a signed permission slip.

My parents never gave it to me, and I knew owling them for one now would almost be a death wish.

So as I cursed the world, more specifically my parents, I went down the common room to tell my friends the news.

"Are you serious?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Yeah, my parents didn't sign. But I take it the Dursleys did?" I replied.

Harry shrugged, "I'm just as surprised as you are, Christina."

"But Christina you _have_ to come. I won't have anyone there with me otherwise!" Hermione complained, biting her lip.

"Hermione, you've got us," Harry input.

Hermione scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

Ron and Hermione weren't exactly on speaking terms.

In fact, they haven't said a word to each other since the Quidditch game yesterday.

Hermione was furiously fuming.

And Ron was apparently _dating_ Lavender now.

_What in Merlin's name is he thinking?_

"Sorry Herms," I said apologetically. "Believe me, if you could find a way to get my permission slip signed I'll be all for it. But until then, I can't go."

Hermione's shoulders slumped, but then quickly stiffened again. She turned to Harry quickly, "Harry, where's your invisibility cloak?"

If I was drinking something it would've been all over the floor right about now.

"You want me to break the rules?" I asked scandalously, only because this was _Hermione_ we were talking about.

"Don't act so surprised, it's not like you've ever actually _followed_ them before," she snapped, tapping her foot.

"Who are you and what've you done with Hermione Granger?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"She's right here, and she's desperate for her best friend to come with her to Hogsmeade," Hermione replied, "Harry can you fetch the cloak?"

Harry agreed readily and went to retrieve it, leaving Hermione, Ron, and I in a very awkward and uncomfortable silence.

I think we all silently thanked Merlin when Harry appeared again and tossed Hermione the cloak.

Hermione caught it deftly. "Thank you Harry. Now Christina, grab your things and let's go!"

* * *

Hogsmeade was just how I remembered it.

There were little thatched cottages and shops lined down the village, all covered in a layer of crisp snow; and there were holly wreaths on the doors and strings of enchanted candles hanging in the trees. It looked like an image taken off of a Christmas card.

"So, when can I take the cloak off?" I asked Hermione, who was walking beside me.

"Now I suppose...but you have to keep it with you so you can use it if a professor comes around," Hermione instructed.

The four of us went to the corner of a little shop, and with Ron, Hermione, and Harry guarding me, I slipped off the invisibility cloak and tucked it safely in my bag.

_Gotta thank Hermione for the Extension Charm._

"So, you lot want to get some butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks?" Harry asked.

Hermione immediately shook her head. "Actually, Christina and I are going to go to go off on our own for a while."

I turned to her quickly. "We are?"

"Yes," Hermione replied. "We need to Gladrags Wizardwear to find dresses for Slughorn's Christmas party and the Christmas ball."

I blanched. _How am I going to afford this?_ _Dresses usually go for seven galleons, at least! _I looked up quickly to my friends' awaiting faces.

"Er," I began. "I'm not a member of the Slug Club; I'm not going to his party..." That was the only thought I was able to articulate at the moment.

"Did Ginny not tell you?" Hermione questioned, pursing her lips. "Well, she's going to ask you to be her plus one."

If my faced could've gotten paler at that moment, it would have. "O-okay," I stuttered.

"So, you two go and do that, and let's say we meet back at the Three Broomsticks in an hour?" Ron asked, hopefully.

Hermione simply huffed and walked away without a second glance.

_Merlin, this fight was going to last while._

"That's Hermione's way of saying yes," I explained quickly, "We'll see you in an hour," I hurried off after Hermione and fell into step beside her. "You know all the female students are going to have the same idea? Going to Gladrags Wizardwear?"

Hermione shrugged, "We still need some fancier clothing, and that's the only place to get it here."

"Uh – I'm not sure I'm going to get anything," I said, my voice small and anxious.

Hermione nearly tripped, "What? Why?"

What could I say? What could I possibly say?

"Well..." I began.

"Your parents did give you an allowance for the year, didn't they?" Hermione asked, and suddenly the spotlight was on me, and I didn't work well under pressure.

"Yes," I said quickly, inwardly berating myself for lying. "They did."

"Good," Hermione replied, "I'm going to help you pick out your dress. Red is a good color on you, you know."

I nodded along with her, but inside I was in turmoil. How would I get out of this?

As Hermione and I strolled through Hogsmeade, I noticed that the shops were filled to the brim with Hogwarts students, with Honeydukes being the most populous attraction.

Once we reached Gladrags Wizardwear, I was surprised to see that it wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be. Maybe most of the students brought dresses and dress robes from home?

"Christina look! I think that one's nice, don't you?" Hermione pointed into the window of the shop, but before I could even turn my head to look she was pulling me inside.

Hermione was never one to get energetic over dresses, and I briefly wondered what had changed.

In a flash, she had snatched up about five or so dresses, and she even pulled out a couple for me. As she went into one of the dressing rooms and she instructed me to do so as well.

I reluctantly agreed, as to not arouse suspicion.

I just waited inside the room, sitting against the wall. I knew I couldn't buy any of the rather nice dresses she chose, and I didn't want to tempt myself by trying them on.

About twenty minutes later I heard knocking on my door.

"Christina, do you like this dress? I think I'm going to get it," Hermione said.

I opened the door and looked at her carefully.

Her dress was a deep purple color, and had silk like texture. The short sleeves and oval neckline looked well on her.

"You don't think it looks too frumpy, do you?" she questioned.

I shook my head, "No, you look great Herms."

She smiled, "Thank you!" But as she looked at me, she paused. "Why aren't you wearing your dresses?"

I looked from her back to the untouched pile of dresses. "Uh well," I began, clenching my jaw. "I already tried them on."

"And did you like any of them?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"No, not really," I shrugged, "They just didn't feel comfortable."

Hermione shrugged as well, "That's alright, you'll find one that you like!"

Hermione then went to look for her second dress, and before we knew it, an hour had passed.

"We have to meet Ron and Harry at the Three Broomsticks," I reminded Hermione.

She sighed deeply, "Fine," she reluctantly agreed. "But you haven't found a dress!"

I tried to smile, "That's alright, I guess there was none that appealed to me."

"Don't worry, Christina. We'll come back after!" Hermione reassured, before leading me out of the shop.

I inwardly sighed. Now I was only prolonging the problem. Honestly, how was I going to get out of this?

Once Hermione and I reached the Three Broomsticks, we saw that Harry and Ron had already gotten a table for us.

"Hey guys," I smiled, trying to put on a happy face.

It's not like I _wasn't_ happy – but today definitely put a damper on my usually high spirits. It only served to remind me of my financial situation, and that fact I was lying to my friends. My _best_ friends – who were practically family to me.

I always loved going to Hogsmeade, but right now, I just wanted to leave.

"We ordered you both a butterbeer – that okay?" Harry asked, scooting his chair over to make room.

"Yeah thanks," I said, slipping into the chair. "What did you two do for the past hour?"

Ron shrugged, "You know, Honeydukes and...well, that's it."

I laughed, "Two little boys in a candy shop."

Ron pursed his lips, "Says the girl who spent two hours in there the last time we all went together!"

I held up my hands in a defensive gesture, "Fine, fine. I admit I have a major sweet tooth. Candy is my weakness – now you know how to defeat me in battle. Just give me candy."

We all laughed loudly, and even Hermione started to giggle.

Leave it to my friends to uplift my low spirits, if only just a little and unknowingly.

Once our butterbeer arrived, we drank up.

"Ooh yum, you got the hot version," I commented, taking another sip.

"It's the winter Christina, what did you expect?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, I'm just saying it's different from what I normally get," I said.

"You mean the cold version?" Ron asked.

"Yes Ron, the cold version," I said slowly, shaking my head. "What other version is there?"

I looked to Hermione, who so desperately looked like she wanted to say something. But she refrained, as she was not speaking to Ron.

I briefly wondered how long this would last.

Suddenly I heard Harry groan, "Guess who just showed up."

We all turned our heads, and I nearly dropped my mug of butterbeer when I saw Draco step inside the inn.

He seemed very focused, as he barely noticed (or perhaps just didn't care) as students shuffled passed him as he made his way to the bar counter.

He began to talk with Madame Rosemerta, and they talked for quite a while, too.

"What's he doing here?" Ron asked, grumbling. "Doesn't he have someplace better to be?"

I bit down on my lip, trying to stop myself from saying anything that would arouse suspicion. "Maybe he just wants a butterbeer?" I suggested, trying to remain impassive and nonchalant.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he asked for it on a gold platter," Ron muttered darkly.

My teeth were clamped so hard around my lip I almost drew blood.

Hermione must've noticed, because she put a gentle hand on my arm under the table.

I looked to her quickly, and while she looked confused, she knew not to press the issue with Harry and Ron around. I hoped she could see the gratitude in my eyes.

When I looked back to where Draco was, I saw him still talking to Madame Rosmerta.

"Why has he been talking to Madame Rosemerta for so long?" Hermione wondered quietly.

"Who knows? Who could make sense of anything that git does?" Ron replied, and Hermione didn't look too happy about that.

"We need to keep an eye on him, you know. I think he's become a Death Eater – like I mentioned on the train," Harry input.

My heart clenched slightly. I had nearly forgotten. Draco...could be a Death Eater. I still haven't seen his left wrist. I needed to. If he had the Dark Mark, I didn't know what I would do.

"Harry – do you have any proof that Malfoy is a Death Eater?" Hermione whispered.

"A gut feeling," Harry replied simply.

"Well I don't think Dumbledore would appreciate 'a gut feeling' as the answer to why you're suspecting one of his students of being a Death Eater – even if it is _Malfoy_," Hermione explained.

Harry grunted, but remained silent.

Draco suddenly pushed away from the counter and left the Three Broomsticks without a second glance.

I needed to see him...to see what was going on.

I stood up quickly, and put my mug down on the table.

"What's the matter, Christina?" Harry asked.

"Uh – bathroom," I replied quickly. "I'll be right back."

After nodding awkwardly in farewell, I inconspicuously slipped out of the inn to see if Draco was still around. I walked a couple feet, looking in every direction, when I suddenly felt someone grab a hold of my arm and pull.

I stumbled into the small gap between the Three Broomsticks and the shop next to it. Looking up, my eyes locked with a pair of familiar icy ones, and I knew it was Draco.

"You shouldn't be here," he said, his voice low and dangerous. There was no trace of his usual smirk, and it actually looked like he had aged a couple years in not even three days.

I didn't know if he meant that I didn't have a signed permission slip...or something else entirely.

"Why are _you_ here?" I whispered against his lips. Our bodies were pressed up together in the small gap, leaving barely any space in between us.

"I have my reasons, dear Christina," Draco murmured, and I closed my eyes instinctively as Draco ran his hand down my cheek.

"Why were you talking to Madame Rosemerta?" I asked.

"I was ordering a butterbeer," Draco replied simply, his gaze not leaving mine.

"You didn't have a butterbeer when you left," I pointed out.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Perceptive one, are you?" he questioned with light amusement, but I heard the dark undertones. "Don't let your curiosity run wild; it is none of your business."

Before I could respond, his lips were pressed against mine lightly. He hovered there momentarily, and I knew his was waiting for me to respond.

I didn't need any more incentive; I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed back ardently, arching into him slightly.

When Draco's arms snaked around my waist in a swift movement, I momentarily remembered the comments Harry made not minutes ago. His left wrist seemed to burn against me, and I knew that had to do with my aching curiosity.

But when Draco slipped his tongue into my mouth and deepened the kiss, my mind went blank and I could think of nothing else but this amazing kiss.

It seemed that even his kisses had changed over the past few days. They were more passionate – desperate even.

"Let's go someplace else," Draco whispered in between our fervent kisses.

I only nodded, pressing my lips back against his. I didn't want the kiss to end.

Draco seemed to relent momentarily, as he wrapped his arms around me again and deepened the kiss.

But then he pulled away abruptly, breathing heavily. "You are quite the distraction," he breathed, amusement in his tone. "Christina – let's go someplace else. We'll be seen here."

I reluctantly agreed. "I need to tell Harry, Ron, and Hermione."

Draco seemed taken aback, "That you're going someplace with _me_?"

I rolled my eyes, "No! I still like having eardrums and friends, after all," I murmured sarcastically. "I'll just tell them I have to stop by a store for a while."

Draco nodded, "I'll wait here. And do hurry up."

I gave him a quick kiss before I left, and it soon started to turn into something deeper.

"Christina – go!" Draco yelled, pushing me away gently. He almost looked like he wanted to crack a smile, and I would've been absolutely delighted if he did.

But I didn't have any more time to see since Draco pushed me out into the open. I quickly walked back into the Three Broomsticks and spotted Hermione, Ron, and Harry sitting at the table.

"Back," I said once I reached them.

"Good – we were just talking about the holiday break," Harry filled me in.

"While that does sound interesting, could you excuse me for a little bit? I have to run to a shop," I said.

"Well, I'll go with you," Hermione offered, starting to get up.

"No!" I shouted. "Uh – no," I quieted my tone slightly. "I won't be long...just continue talking," I said, and before they could say anything, I exited the inn again.

I felt horrible lying to my friends, but right now I knew I had to. It was the only way...I couldn't tell them about Draco. I honestly didn't even know what Draco and I _were_.

I slipped back out of the inn and quickly went into the small gap, where Draco was waiting. He pulled me to him closely and kissed me again, and I was more the welcoming in return.

But as soon as it began, Draco pulled away. "Let's go," he whispered. "I'll walk out first, and just follow a little ways behind me, alright?"

I nodded in confirmation, and watched as he exited our little hiding place swiftly.

After counting to ten, I walked out as well, and saw Draco a couple of yards ahead of me. I began to follow nonchalantly, trying to act normal.

As Draco continued to walk forward, I recognized where he was going. He was heading to the Shrieking Shack overlook – I'd been there before with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

I waited a couple extra seconds as Draco disappeared up the path – we were the only ones going this way. After I deemed it safe, I scurried up the path until I saw Draco sitting on one of the large rocks, looking at the Shrieking Shack in the distance.

My pace slowed as I strolled to meet him. His normally pale face was now exuding shades of gray. He looked tired...drawn.

When his head turned and his eyes met mine, I saw the emotion deep within them, behind his shield. Draco was usually very skilled at hiding his feelings, but now more and more I began to notice them. Figuring out what they meant, however, was a whole other story.

"Come here," Draco instructed, his voice low and seductive.

My feet moved on their own accord, and soon I was leaning in between Draco's legs, held within his grasp. Draco tilted his head up so he was able to stare into my eyes.

"Christina," he said, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

I expected him to say more, but he didn't. He just continued to look at me.

"Quite a novelty, calling each other by our first names, isn't it?" I mused out loud, pursing my lips. "A couple days ago I almost had a close call, but I managed to say your surname."

"Yes I remember," Draco nodded his head. "That was when Zambini and the Weasel had a scuffle, am I correct? I caught it, but very good job saving yourself. No one else would've noticed anything."

I smirked smugly, "Why thank you," I laughed, but then turned stern. "And his name is _Ron_. Ronald if we're being proper."

"I think I'll stick with Weasel," Draco shrugged. "Just because we're doing this doesn't mean I've taken a sudden liking to your friends."

I suddenly bit my lip, knowing that my next words were delicate. "And what _is_ this, Draco? What are we doing?"

Draco didn't push me off and leave as I expected him to after the words left my mouth, but he did look away and furrow his brows.

"What do _you_ think we are, Christina?" He turned his piercing gaze to me again, and my breath caught in my throat.

The reversed question caught me off guard.

"You may not like what I have to say," I said quietly, chewing on the inside of my cheek.

Draco didn't look away or even blink. "You may not like what I have to say, either," he replied, his minty breath fanning across my neck.

And we left it at that. Why ruin a good moment?

But I knew. I knew I would have to get firm answers...and soon.

"So then...what are we going to do for this Christmas Ball?" I asked, smirking slightly.

"Hm, what _are_ we going to do about it?" Draco raised an eyebrow. "Has anyone asked you yet?"

I shook my head. "Nope. But I don't need someone to ask me to go. I'll just _go_."

Draco tilted his head to the side, "You'd go dateless?"

I narrowed my eyes. "A girl doesn't need a date to do something. We can go anyone by ourselves. Same goes for a boy. So even if no one asks me, so what?"

Draco pursed his lips in contemplation, "So our young Ravenclaw Terry Boot hasn't asked you yet?"

I sighed, "I haven't seen much if him lately," I admitted honestly. "But he hasn't asked."

"I'm sure he wants to," Draco murmured.

I pushed him lightly, "And even if he _does_ ask me, we can go as friends."

Draco's expression suddenly became serious. "Don't go with anyone."

I raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me – don't go with anyone."

"You're jealous?" I asked with exasperation.

"And so what if I was?" Draco shot back.

I rolled my eyes, "You have nothing to be jealous of."

"Christina – just don't go with anyone," he said seriously.

I opened my mouth to reply when a thought hit me. "Who are _you_ asking?"

Draco's eyes widened for a moment before he adopted a cool resolve. "I already asked someone."

I tensed against his body. "You did?" I asked through grit teeth. "Who?"

Draco looked away and actually seemed _embarrassed_.

_Well he should be...he told me not to go with anyone when he has a date!_

"Well?" I raised an eyebrow, waiting for his answer.

"Pansy," he replied, his voice soft and subdued.

"PANSY!" I shrieked, pushing myself away from Draco even as he tried to pull me back to him. "So I have to be a lone wolf while you take _Pansy_?"

"I had to ask _someone_," Draco defended himself. "And she was there...talking my ear off as usual...and I just asked her to get her to stop talking. It's just some rubbish Ball, after all."

I pursed my lips, crossing my arms over my chest. "I can't believe you asked _Pansy_," I shook my head. "If I can't go with anyone than neither can you," I muttered petulantly.

Draco pushed himself up off the rock and stalked forward, looking amused. "You're jealous?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"So what if I am?" I used his own words back at him.

Draco smirked, and I momentarily realized how it brought a bit of life back to his otherwise dull face. "I'd say..." he began, continuing to walk towards me even as I backed up. "You have nothing to be jealous of," he repeated my words as he backed me into a tree, trapping me between his arms and leaning his face close.

"Oh really?" I breathed against his lips.

Draco momentarily closed his eyes. "Your breath smells like butterbeer," he said quietly.

"Does it taste like it, too?" I questioned, the corner of my mouth turning upwards.

"Well let's see," Draco whispered, and molded his lips over mine.

I immediately felt his tongue slip into my mouth, and I reciprocated quite enthusiastically.

"Tastes like it too," Draco murmured in between kisses. I didn't even give a verbal reply, I just continued kissing him.

He tasted like mint...and sweet, like candy. Perhaps he stopped in Honeydukes.

My hands slid from his neck into his hair, and I tangled my fingers in his firm platinum blond locks. Once I gave a short tug, Draco grunted into my mouth, the kiss swallowing the sound.

_Ooh, he must like that._

I pulled again, and instead of getting another grunt, he pushed his hips forward, pinning me into the tree. I arched into him, pushing back with equal fervor.

He broke apart from my lips and started to trail a line of blazing kisses down my neck, and I could barely keep silent.

"So good," Draco whispered against my neck, sucking on a tender spot. "Christina..."

"Draco," I gasped out, biting on my lip.

Draco suddenly pulled away from my neck and gently cupped my face with both of his hands.

"You make me forget everything, Christina," he spoke, honesty in his eyes. "I wasn't lying when I said you were quite the distraction."

"Just a distraction?" I asked, a pang of hurt piercing my heart as I tried to control my breathing.

"No," Draco replied, his own voice full of wonder and surprise. "So much more," he stated, but before I could even think about making sense of his words, he was kissing me again with even more passion.

Just as I was about to move my hands inside of his jacket, we heard voices coming from down the path.

Draco and I each broke apart quickly, and darted quickly behind a gathering of trees.

As we each worked to steady our breathing, we saw a couple of younger students walking up the path, talking excitedly. They were probably coming to see the Shrieking Shack for the first time.

"We should start heading back," I spoke quietly, and Draco nodded.

"So, what have you been doing in Hogsmeade?" Draco asked as we made our back.

"Nothing much, really. I got some butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, as you know," I replied, shrugging.

"Did you get a dress or something for the bloody dance, like most of the other females are doing?" Draco asked.

_I guess he's not too excited for the Ball._

"Actually I went with Hermione for a dress," I explained.

Draco paused slightly and looked me over, obviously looking for a large bag.

But no, it was just me with my small purse (thought it did have an Extension Charm).

"So where's your dress?" Draco questioned curiously.

"I didn't get one."

Draco paused again, "Why not?"

I bit my lip. I could talk about this with Draco – he knew.

"My financial situation isn't exactly great right now...as you know," I said, my voice quiet and small.

"You can't afford a dress?" he asked.

I almost wished that the ground could swallow me right now. I felt so useless.

"No, I can't Draco. I have to save the money I have, which isn't much, to use in times of emergency," I explained. "Like finding a place to live after this year," I muttered under my breath.

"How much money _do_ you have?" Draco seemed curious.

I blanched, and debated whether or not to tell him.

_Might as well...there's no way I'll be able to feel more pathetic than I do now._

"Thirty-seven galleons, three sickles, and nineteen knuts," I murmured. "Minus the butterbeer I have to pay Harry back for."

Draco completely froze, and we had to stop walking. "That's it?" he asked, and his tone was absolutely astonished.

I could understand why, Draco could spend that money in an hour on practically anything he wanted. His family was rich.

_And so is yours, but it's your own fault you're not getting their money. _A nasty voice in my head snapped, but I refused to listen. I knew I was making the right decisions, but sometimes the consequences seemed to outweigh the benefits.

"Not everyone can be rich like you, Draco," I snapped at him, taking out my frustration on the only other person around. I knew it was wrong, but right now I just didn't care. "Just because you've gotten everything you've ever wanted served on a silver platter doesn't mean that happens for everyone. I don't need your judgment, I already feel worthless enough," I continued to rant.

Draco looked like I had slapped him across the face.

Months ago, Draco would've insulted me right back and walked off without a second thought if I said something like that to him.

But now...he grabbed me and pulled me to him, _hugging_ me.

"I didn't mean to make you feel worthless," he spoke softly after a few seconds. "That was not my intention. You aren't worthless, Christina," he continued, and he pulled me back from him so he could look me in the eye. "I may not understand or agree with everything you stand for...but I know you stand for _something_. And for that, you are worthy."

"Thank you," I whispered.

I had to bit my lip to keep the tears at bay. It was moments like these that I knew I was falling in love with him. That I knew he felt something, even if it wasn't love. He still felt _something_.

"We shouldn't stand here like this, you know," I reminded Draco softly after a few minutes. "People will see."

I felt Draco sigh, "You're right," he agreed, letting go of me reluctantly. "Come one."

Once we got back into the main part of Hogsmeade, we immediately passed Gladrags WizardWear. I expected Draco and I to say a quick goodbye and go our separate ways, so I was very surprised when we stopped in front of the shop and stood inconspicuously in the corner.

Draco reached into his pocket, and moments later pulled out a handful of...galleons?

"Take it," he murmured, placing the money in my hand. "Buy yourself a nice dress."

I gaped at him, not even moving.

"Come on Christina," Draco urged. "Take it."

I shut my mouth abruptly and found my voice. "Draco I can't take this – this is your money!"

"Yes it is," he muttered, "And I'm giving it to you."

"You can't," I whispered, astonished. "I can't take it from you."

"Merlin Christina, take the money!" Draco was getting frustrated, but I was not one to take money from others.

"No!" I shouted stubbornly.

"Yes!" Draco shouted back, but I still refused.

Suddenly Draco pulled me aside and before I knew it, his lips were on mine.

All the pent up frustration finally burst, and I poured all of my emotions into the kiss. I could tell Draco was as well, as there was a lot of teeth clashing and lip biting.

But neither one of us seemed to care.

When we finally broke apart we were both breathing heavily, and I was clutching my chest, heaving air into my lungs.

"You're too bloody stubborn," Draco said, his breath still shaky. "You have so much pride."

"It's one of the only things I have left," I spoke, shrugging. "I have to keep that together."

After gazing at me for a few more seconds, Draco held out his hand again. "It's only twenty galleons, Christina. I have ten times that in my other pocket. Please...let me do this for you. I promise, this doesn't change anything. You don't need to be prideful. I want to do this...for you."

This time, instead of flat out refusing, I thought about it for a few moments. His eyes seemed so imploring...and I couldn't resist anymore.

"Okay," I said quietly, accepting the money. "Whatever I don't use, I'll give it back."

Draco chuckled, "I wouldn't take it even if you tried. That's for you. All of it."

I sighed, knowing I wasn't going to win this. "Thank you, Draco. Really. What do I owe you?"

Draco leaned in and kissed me quickly on the lips. "Nothing," he said, and then sidestepped me to leave. "Oh, wait. There is one thing," he called out, turning to face me again.

I looked at him, waiting expectantly.

"I want to see you in your dress, at the Ball," Draco said, smirking slightly.

I laughed and shrugged, "As you wish."

* * *

Shopping for a dress wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, especially since I was practically the only one in the shop. All the other students were getting ready to leave.

After trying on a couple, I still couldn't seem to pick the right one.

But as I was browsing through the last rack, I saw one that caught my eye.

It was black – well, the bottom was. It was long and flowing, and the material was soft. The top part, however, was like a sky blue, the color of Cinderella's dress. It was strapless, but on the right shoulder was a set of three straps that formed a sort of vine, which wrapped around the shoulder and attached to the back of the dress.

It was absolutely beautiful.

I plucked it from the rack quickly and went to try it on.

It fit, thankfully...though it was a little tight around the hip area. I always did have wide hips, ever since I was young. I would have to ask Hermione if there was a spell she'd be able to do to fix that – she was always the best with spells.

I decided that I would just wear one of the casual dresses I brought from home to Slughorn's party; I didn't think I had enough for two dresses.

After I changed back into my own clothes, I went to pay.

The dress cost fifteen galleons, as expected. That meant I had enough money to pay Harry back for the butterbeer and some extra left over.

So that made my new savings total about forty-one galleons, three sickles, and nineteen knuts.

An improvement, but still not very much.

I quickly hurried back over to the Three Broomsticks, and saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione getting up to leave.

"Christina – you're back!" Hermione exclaimed once she saw me.

"You were gone for a long time – what happened?" Harry questioned, peering at the bag in my hand.

"Sorry," I murmured apologetically. "I was caught up in finding a dress."

Hermione's face lit up, "You found one?"

I nodded, "Mhm," I said, and then took out some money from my pocket. "Here Harry, for the butterbeer."

Harry shook his head, "No Christina, it's fine. It was on me."

I shook my head back to him, "Harry, take the money," I shoved it into his hand and retracted mine before he could give it back. I smiled in triumph when he sighed and put the money in his pocket.

"So..." Ron began, looking over the three of us. "Good to be back in Hogsmeade?"

I smiled widely. "I think it's great."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the long update time, but I was working really hard on this chapter. It's the longest BY FAR. Like three chapters rolled into one. I worked SERIOUSLY HARD. Anyway, lots of action coming up, including the Slughorn party and Christmas Ball. Hope you enjoyed! R&R! :D**


	37. A Change is Gonna Come

**Disclaimer: If I had a remembrall I would remember that I don't own Harry Potter. Also, some lines may come directly from The Half Blood Prince. You'll recognize them. **

* * *

"Christina you look fine, come on," Hermione assured me, knocking on the bathroom door.

I huffed as I continued to look at myself in the mirror.

Was this seriously the fanciest dress I owned? Slughorn wasn't going to be happy.

My dress was completely black, with long sleeves and an oval neckline. It went in around my waist, and then flowed out until it reached mid-thigh.

It was simple...casual. Not very fancy.

But it would have to do. I knew I was going to be getting some looks.

My hair was in a nice up do, in an effort to at least _appear_ fancy. After patting it down a couple times, I sighed with resignation and exited the bathroom, nearly tripping in the shoes I had on. Walking in heels was definitely not a strong quality of mine.

"Finally," Hermione said, looking me over. "I'm telling you Christina, no one is going to say anything,"

I snorted, "We'll see."

"Let's go then, our _dates_ our waiting for us," Hermione teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

I chuckled slightly, "A date for _you_ perhaps," I pointed out. "Tell me again why you're going with Cormac McLaggen? He's a bit much, isn't he?"

Hermione flushed. "Well...because..."

"Herms I know why you did it, and you know why you did it. So we don't have to go into it right now. But you're right, if you don't leave now we'll be late...and I don't want to give Slughorn another reason to dislike me," I said, pulling Hermione down to the common room.

I saw Harry, Ron, and Ginny sitting on the common room couch, and Harry and Ginny immediately stood up.

"Ready to go?" I asked, slowly descending the last step. "Harry, where's Luna?"

I honestly had no idea why Harry and Ginny just didn't go together, but they didn't. So Harry asked Luna and Ginny was taking me as her guest.

"I have to meet her at the party," Harry replied simply.

I turned to Hermione, "And where's Cormac?"

Ron scoffed at that, but Hermione didn't seem bothered.

"I have to meet him at the party as well," she said.

I nodded, "Ron – are you going to be alright here on your own?" I asked.

Ron shrugged, "I won't be on my own...I'll probably hang out with Neville, Seamus, and Dean back up in the dorm. I'll be fine. Have fun, though. I can't believe I'm going to be missing the look on Slughorn's face when he sees you. He's going to be bloody baffled!"

I kicked his shin lightly with my shoe. "That isn't funny," I scolded, but I was chuckling.

"Well have fun you lot, I'll see you tonight," Ron pushed himself off the couch and went up to his dorm. I saw Hermione watching him go from the corner of her eye, and I smiled wistfully. She was close to cracking, but still remained stubborn.

"I like your dress, Christina," Ginny said, looking me over.

I narrowed my eyes and turned to Hermione, "You told her, didn't you?"

Hermione held up her hands, "I just wanted you to feel encouraged!" she defended.

Ginny sighed, "Okay she _did_ say that you were feeling a bit discouraged...but I really do like your dress."

"Look guys, I understand what you're doing. It isn't exactly working, but thanks," I said, giving each of them a pat on the back.

After a few seconds, Harry asked, "So are we ready to go?"

I nodded, "Yeah – let's get this over with."

* * *

We were walking down the corridor when something on the other end caught my eye. I turned just in time to see Draco slipping through the shadows, his posture tense and alert. I stopped in my tracks.

"That was Dr – Malfoy over there," I quickly covered up my slip up.

My friends stopped as well and looked.

"Really? What do you think he's doing?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged, "Who knows? Let's get going and we'll see after."

We all started to walk again, but I had a nagging suspicion in my head.

* * *

Once we arrived at the party, Slughorn was the first to greet us.

"How lovely for you all to come – oh Miss. Miro, what are you doing here?" Slughorn asked, looking at me with wide eyes.

_Oh here we go._

"I'm Ginny's plus one," I smiled sweetly.

Slughorn nodded stiffly after a few moments, "Very well, very well," He then turned to Harry. "Ah – Harry, m'boy. Can I have a picture?"

Harry looked lost. "Sure, sir?" he said, and immediately Slughorn pulled him to the side in front of a man with a large camera contraption.

Suddenly Hermione latched onto my arm. "Oh dear, there's Cormac," she whispered, and I turned to see Cormac basically _attacking_ the hors d'oeuvres on one of the servers plates. Before I could respond, Hermione slipped away inconspicuously and hid behind some curtains in the corner.

Cormac noticed us and walked over to Ginny and I. "Hello ladies," he smiled, putting on some charm. "Is your friend Hermione around?"

I bit my lip and implored Ginny to respond. I was not a good liar under pressure.

"She's around somewhere," Ginny shrugged. "She went that way a few minutes ago." She pointed in the opposite direction of where Hermione was.

Cormac nodded, "Slippery little minx your friend is. Well thanks," Cormac smiled, and disappeared towards the left side of the room.

I laughed once he left, "Nice one," I murmured to Ginny, who smiled smugly.

After looking in both directions, Ginny and I tiptoed over to where Hermione was.

"You okay?" I asked once we were behind the curtains.

Hermione shook her head, "It was so stupid for me to invite him."

"No arguments there," Ginny added.

A few seconds later we were joined by Harry, who looked slightly puzzled.

"What...what are you all doing?" he asked after pushing through the many curtains.

"Hermione is trying to escape from her date," I explained.

"Cormac?" Harry questioned. "Then why did you invite him?"

"I thought it would annoy Ron the most," Hermione blushed, her voice quiet.

"Well at least _that_ worked," Ginny muttered.

"I need to avoid Cormac...he's got more tentacles than a snarfalump plant," Hermione shuddered. "After I invited him yesterday he wouldn't leave me alone."

Suddenly some movement caught our attention, and a silver platter was being shoved into our faces by a man in a white uniform. "Dragon tartare?" he asked politely.

"No, thank you," We all whispered in unison.

The server shrugged, "Just as well...they give one horribly bad breath."

Hermione face lit up, "On second thought," She grabbed the whole tray from the server and shoved two in her mouth. "They might keep Cormac at bay."

Hermione was close to stuffing a third one in her mouth when she groaned, "Oh Merlin here he comes!" She thrust the tray into Harry's hands and escaped through the other side, along with Ginny and I.

Harry was left there alone, just with a tray of dragon tartare.

"Are you looking for Hermione?" Harry asked when Cormac entered the curtains. "I think she just went to the powder room...you just missed her."

Cormac sighed, "I'm always just missing her...nice piece of work though, isn't she?" Cormac didn't wait for Harry's reply, which probably wouldn't have been too kind, before stuffing a bunch of the dragon tartare into his mouth. "What are these, by the way?" He pointed to the tray.

Harry paused, debating in his head. "Dragon balls," Harry finally said, sounding remarkably honest.

Cormac froze, and at that moment Snape came through the curtains.

Before any of them could say a word, Cormac vomited...all over Snape's shoes.

There was a moment of silence...a few moments of silence, in fact.

Harry started to play with the curtains and pretend he wasn't there.

"You just bought yourself a month's detention McLaggen – not so quick, Potter," Snape drawled.

Harry froze midway from trying to exit the curtains.

After Snape gave Cormac another look, he went to confront Harry.

Harry looked for a way out of this. "Sir, I really think that I should rejoin the party. My date-"

"Can surely survive your absence for another minute or two," Snape interrupted. "Besides, I only wish to convey a message."

"A message?" Harry repeated.

"From Professor Dumbledore. He asked me to give you his best, and he hopes you enjoy your holidays. You see, he's traveling...and he won't return until term resumes," Snape explained, his voice toneless and bored.

"Does anyone know he's traveling?" Harry asked.

"No. It is confidential information. He only asked me to notify you."

"_Where is he traveling?_" Harry didn't mean to say it so aggressively, but when Dumbledore traveled it was an important issue. He needed to know.

Snape, however, did not reply again. He only looked at Harry for a few more seconds before walking off.

I joined Harry at his side seconds later, "You look like you've seen a hot pink phoenix...what's wrong?"

Harry turned to me and leaned in conspiratorially. "Snape was just here."

"Did he say anything?" I asked.

"Dumbledore is traveling...he won't be back until after the holiday break," Harry responded.

I gasped, "Where is he traveling?"

Harry shook his head, "I don't know. Snape didn't tell me."

"Why do you think he's traveling?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Harry paused. "Where's Ginny and Hermione?"

"Well we met up with Luna and went to the powder room. I suppose they're still there, I just wanted to come back and check-"

Before I could finish my sentence, loud, uneasy noises came from the entrance of the party.

I had to grab onto Harry's arm when I saw Filch dragging Draco into the room by the back of his collar, and Draco was attempting to break free.

"Let me go!" he shouted, twisting. "Take your hands off me you filthy squib!"

The whole party grew silent as they crowded around Filch and Draco. Slughorn looked baffled and astonished.

"Professor Slughorn sir," Filch began, "I just discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor."

"That's where you saw him," Harry whispered into my ear, but I was too stunned to reply or even acknowledge his comment.

_What...what's going on?_

Filch continued, "He claims to have been invited to your party."

"Okay, okay I was gatecrashing!" Draco shouted, still trying to get away from Filch. He looked wild and unsure, like a caged animal. "Happy?"

Snape's large black robes billowed as he approached the pair. "I'll escort him out," Snape said, looking over Draco carefully.

Filch released Draco, who pulled away in disgust. "Certainly," Draco drawled, looking at Snape with contempt. "Professor."

Snape and Draco left quickly, and there were quiet murmurs around the room.

"Okay, okay!" Slughorn clapped his hands together. "Everyone carry on." He tried to smile, but I could tell he was still rattled and confused.

I took a hold of Harry's arm. "We have to follow them," I whispered.

Harry nodded in agreement, and we rushed out of the party.

"Look," I breathed, pointing as two shadows disappeared down the corridor.

"Let's go – quietly," Harry instructed, and we continued down the corridor after them.

Draco and Snape rushed down the hall.

"Maybe I was gatecrashing, maybe I _wasn't_. What's it to _you_?" Draco hissed, trying to get away from Snape.

Snape grabbed him by the robes and pushed him into the wall, "I swore to protect you...I made the Unbreakable Vow!"

"I don't need protection!" Draco protested. "I was chosen for this. Out of all others – _me_! And I won't fail him...I can't fail him."

"You're afraid, Draco..." Snape began. "You attempt to conceal it, but it's obvious. Let me assist you..."

"No!" Draco yelled, his voice echoing down the hall. "I was chosen – this is my moment!"

Two sets of footsteps disappeared down the corridor, and I knew they were gone.

I was in a state of shock.

"Harry," I whispered, not capable of speaking more words. "Harry..."

Harry looked as shocked as I was, as he just stared forward.

Tears pooled in my eyes, but I wiped them away furiously. I couldn't let Harry see.

I needed to talk to Draco and find out what was going on...now.

* * *

I was rushing up to the Owlrey, tripping over my heels every couple seconds. I was close to just taking them off and running barefoot.

I sent Harry back to Slughorn's party, there was something I needed to do...alone.

When he asked for a reason, I gave him some rushed excuse that I hope he bought. I didn't want to be interrogated later on tonight.

It was a rather cold December night, and I noticed some ice forming along the walls and steps as I ascended to the Owlrey. I even had the good fortune of slipping and tearing a part of my dress.

_Oh well._

I managed to heave myself up, and I was much more careful as I continued my trek.

Once I reached the Owlrey, I quickly put my fingers up to my mouth to whistle. "Jolra! Come here girl!"

The circular room was filled with owls – so many of them. And the floor was covered with straw, owl droppings, and...skeletons of dead rodents.

_Eeeew!_

Luckily Jolra came flying towards me and perched on my arm. I pet her head a couple times, I smiled in triumph when she leaned into my touch.

_She's rather affectionate for an owl...I wonder where Sirius got her?_

I let Jolra hop off onto a small platform while I grabbed the parchment and quill that I brought. Leaning against the platform, I wrote out a quick letter.

_Draco,_

_Meet me at the Astronomy Tower now. We need to talk. Be wary of the ice._

_Your distraction (and much more)_

I didn't sign off using my name in case someone other than Draco found the letter. He would know it was me, though. I tied the letter securely to Jolra.

"Jolra, can you deliver this letter to Draco Malfoy, please? You know who he is, platinum blond hair, and permanently smug look?"

I faltered slightly...not so much smug anymore. But that's what we needed to discuss.

Jolra hooted once and I watched as she flew out of the open window.

I turned hurriedly to get to the Astronomy Tower. I really didn't have much time to get there.

Unfortunately, I forgot about the ice on my way out, and I slipped again.

_Merlin Christina, can you walk!_

I groaned loudly before getting up and carefully making my way down from the Astronomy Tower.

* * *

I was never wearing heels again. Nope, never, sorry. Especially if going up numerous flights of stairs was a necessary part of the night.

No heels. Ever again.

By the time I managed to get to the top of the Astronomy Tower, my feet were sore and I felt like throwing myself off the tower.

I had to sit on one of the stone benches to catch my breath. I mean, you would think that Quidditch would give you extra stamina...but no, not the case.

As I sat there breathing deeply, I briefly wondered if Draco would come.

The last time I saw him he was rather upset, and definitely very angry.

I wondered what kind of Draco would show up now, if he showed up at all.

He was always so mercurial.

I honestly didn't know what I was going to say when I saw him. I had so much I wanted to say...wanted to ask...but I knew I had to be delicate.

If I knew one thing for sure, it was that Draco didn't like to be pressured with things.

I was the same way, and that was just another reason of how we were quite similar.

My hope was that he would just be honest with me...so I could help him with whatever mess he had gotten into.

Draco might know me through and through, but I knew him as well. He wasn't evil. He wasn't soulless. He wasn't heartless.

Misguided, maybe. Mean, probably. Cold, definitely.

But not evil. I knew evil, I've witnessed evil, and he isn't like that.

But I wanted...no...I _needed_ to help him before he went past the point of no return.

I highly doubted I would get the truth from Draco...and I knew that would start a fight.

Though in all honestly, I didn't want to fight with him. Things had been going so well lately, I didn't want to raise both our tempers with a stupid fight.

I sighed. Was Draco going to come?

A voice behind my shoulder answered my question.

"I'm here, Christina."

I stood up from the bench quickly and turned to face Draco.

His face was tired and his body was tense. If I thought he looked to have aged yesterday, well I was definitely wrong. He looked ten times worse today.

"Draco," I whispered, and I couldn't say anything else.

Draco started to walk closer, slowly and cautiously. "I got a letter from, and I quote, 'Your distraction and much more'. Very apt description, by the way," He smirked wistfully, but it wasn't genuine or happy. "Why did you want me to meet you here, Christina?"

"To talk," I said simply, mustering up my Gryffindor courage. "I was at Slughorn's party, Draco."

Draco's face was expressionless, but I saw emotion flash in his eyes. "I thought you weren't in the Slug Club?"

"I was someone's guest," I explained.

Draco rubbed his chin, looking to be in thought. "Interesting..." he murmured, and began to walk closer. He lifted his hand slowly, and I felt it thread through my hair. When his fingers emerged, he was holding a piece of straw. "Little accident?" he questioned, looking down to my torn dress as well.

I flushed, "I slipped on the ice in the Owlrey," I said quietly.

"And are you alright?" Draco raised an eyebrow.

I nodded, but then turned away. I wasn't going to avoid the conversation forever. "Draco, that's not what we're here to talk about."

"Then what are we here to talk about, Christina?" Draco seemed exasperated, but he hid it well.

I spun back to face him quickly. "I'm trying to understand, Draco. I'm trying to figure out what mess you're in. But I need to hear it from your own mouth. Draco please, you need to tell me."

"I don't _need_ to tell you anything," Draco snapped. "Don't get involved in matters that don't concern you."

"I think I'm more involved in this matter than you know," I replied slowly.

"What do you mean?" Draco questioned harshly.

I shrugged, "You can take it any way you want. But I need to know – from you. I want to help you."

"I don't need your bloody help, Christina! How many times do I have to tell you? How many times do I have to tell _everyone_?" Draco yelled.

"Draco this isn't some game! This is Voldemort!" I shouted, and Draco cringed slightly. "I know you aren't evil," I pleaded with him. "I know you have a heart. I feel it whenever we're pressed together. Don't do this, Draco. We can go to Dumbledore, we can-"

"Dumbledore!" Draco laughed loudly at the irony of it. "That old fool can't even help himself," he sneered. "You're not the only one with loyalties Christina. You're not the only one who needs to fight for morals. A task has been given to me and I will see it through. My time has come, to prove myself! I will take it!"

"Draco – stop," I shook my head. "This isn't you!" Tears pooled in my eyes, and this time I let them fall. I choked back a gasp and stumbled backwards.

Draco's eyes immediately softened, and he seemed to regret his earlier outburst.

"Christina," he whispered, reaching out to me. But I pushed him away, and didn't stop until he grabbed each of my wrists in a gentle hold.

"No!" I shouted, trying to pull away. "Why are you doing this?"

"I have no choice. I have no choice," Draco repeated over and over quietly until I stopped fighting him.

"There's always a choice," I snapped.

Draco shook his head, "There are things I must do, Christina. Just as there are things you must do. And I will not ask you to give up what you have to do, just as you can't ask me to do the same."

"It's not the _same _and you know it," I retorted. "I'm fighting for a better world for everyone. You're fighting for death and destruction."

"If things could be different," Draco began, but shook his head. "But they aren't different, and I must play with the cards I have been dealt."

"Then what are we doing?" I breathed, looking away. "Why are we doing this? We're _enemies_, Draco. When the time for war comes, we're on different sides of the battlefield. What happens then?"

"I don't know," Draco replied honestly. "But I know...I know I don't want this to stop."

I fought back another sob, "I don't want it to stop, either," I admitted.

"Then we should embrace the time we do have while we can," Draco responded.

"It shouldn't be that easy," I said, holding out my arms as tears rolled down my cheeks. "It _can't_ be that easy."

"It never is," Draco replied, and stepped forward closer to me. "I hate when you cry, Christina. I don't know what to do – how to help you."

I quickly wiped away the tears, "I don't need your help," I said his own words back to him.

Draco chuckled, but it had a sad edge. He reached out his hand again, and this time I took it. I didn't want to fight anymore. This was getting nowhere.

When Draco pulled me in for a hug, I leaned my chin on his shoulder and sighed. "This isn't over, you know," I murmured into his ear.

"I didn't expect it to be," Draco replied.

A few moments later he pulled away again, but then I felt his lips press against my own, very lightly.

I responded by leaning further into him, and that was his cue to deepen the kiss.

Draco was a great kisser – I noticed that from day one.

_How did he become such a good snogger?_

And then that got me wondering... _Am I a good snogger?_

I hoped I wasn't horrendous and Draco was just keeping quiet for my sake.

_Merlin what if I use too much tongue? What if I don't use enough tongue? What if he doesn't like the lip biting?_

Draco seemed to sense that something was wrong, because he pulled away. "Christina – what is it?"

I blushed. "Uh..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say. "Well..."

"Are you feeling alright? Are you getting cold?" Draco questioned, looking me over.

"No, no, nothing like that," I shook my head. "I was just wondering...how did you get to be so good at snogging?"

Draco looked bewildered for a few moments before smirking. I didn't think he expected me to say _that_. But I was curious!

"Lots of practice," he said simply. "You think I'm a good snogger?"

I bit my lip, "Yes, you are," I admitted. "Have you had – uh – many...snogging partners?" I didn't want to use the term 'girlfriend' due to the implications.

"A handful...but not too many, surprisingly. What about you?" Draco was curious now.

"Well, I've only had two boyfriends before, so..." I shrugged.

"I know about Zacharias Smith...but who's the other one?" Draco asked.

I raised an eyebrow, "How did you know about Zacharias?"

Draco smirked, "Word gets around, Christina. And you two didn't exactly have the least stressful relationship in existence."

I pursed my lips, "Well, I'll admit _that's_ true. Anyway, the other one was in third year for like a week...his name was Daniel."

"Interesting," Draco replied thoughtfully.

"But..." I began, twiddling my fingers. "Am I...you know...good at snogging?" I asked, my face growing red.

Draco looked amused, "Ah – the million galleon question," he stated.

The tone of the atmosphere had lifted. It was now light and easygoing, rather than dark and gloomy.

"I could snog you all day," Draco finally admitted, and I smiled brightly. "You always smell like raspberries, and your breath is always so sweet."

"Your breath is always minty," I replied, smiling wider. "It's refreshing."

Draco kissed me again, and I held onto his biceps, running my hands up and down.

"Come on," Draco said against my lips, and gripped my hand.

We walked over to the entrance of the Astronomy Tower and Draco sat against the left wall. He reached his arm out in a gesture that said 'join me', and I was only too happy to oblige.

I squeezed next to him and cuddled into his side. Draco took out his wand and performed an unknown nonverbal spell, and seconds later we were being covered with a blanket.

I rested my head against his shoulder and sighed.

"Draco – can you promise me something?" I asked suddenly.

Draco tensed slightly, "What?"

"Don't do anything you'll regret."

I heard Draco suck in a sharp intake of air, but he didn't respond again.

And so we were shrouded in silence, just left to stare up at the stars.

After an hour I heard Draco's steady breathing beside me, and I knew he had fallen asleep.

Looking down, I saw Draco's arms wrapped around me...and I saw his left wrist.

It could be so easy...all I had to do was lift up his sleeve and I would see...

I refrained, however. I couldn't do that. I wanted Draco to show me himself.

But I was also scared of what I would find. I needed to know, but I didn't want to.

It would change everything.

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter for you guys! A very important one, as well. Hope you liked it! Also, I know I'm changing around the order of things in The Half Blood Prince, but I need to do this for plot reasons. I won't stray too far off, though! Thanks to all my great reviewers. I'll give a shoutout in the next chapter! R&R! :D**


	38. Christmas Ball

**Disclaimer: I own Christina Miro. Though she may be a fictional OC she's mine and I am very proud of her. But I don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

My neck hurt.

Like – _really_ hurt.

I was leaning against something hard...and _Merlin_ my lower back was sore.

Slowly cracking one eye open, I took in my surroundings.

I was at...the Astronomy Tower? There was movement next to me. I wasn't alone.

Once I turned my head to the right, I saw another body cuddling up next to me and I remembered.

"Draco," I said, trying to wake up him. "Draco!"

"No," Draco moaned, and I smiled wistfully. I almost wanted to let him sleep, he really looked like he needed it, but I had no idea what time it was and I would already be in hot water with my friends. I didn't want to make things any worse.

"Draco...get up or I'll take all your clothes and you'll have to walk back to your dorm naked," I warned.

Draco smirked, "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" He opened his eyes slowly and started to sit up, letting out a slight groan of pain when a couple things in his body cracked.

"I can't believe we slept here the whole night," I muttered, wrapping the blanket tighter around me. It was a rather cold morning.

"That wasn't my intention," Draco admitted. "I was going to wake you up after a couple hours, but I guess I fell into a sound sleep. I haven't been getting much sleep lately."

"I figured," I said quietly, and we were thrown into a solemn silence. I needed to make things light again. "So does this count as the first time we've _slept together_?" I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively, earning a chuckle from Draco.

"I guess so," he replied, beginning to get up. He reached out his arm down to me, and I took it gratefully, heaving myself up as well. With a flick of Draco's wand, the blanket disappeared, and we began descending the Astronomy Tower steps.

"Ow," I groaned, not evening managing to make it five steps on my sore feet.

"What's the matter?" Draco questioned when I stopped.

"My feet..._this_ is why I don't wear heels!" I said grumpily.

"Me neither," Draco teased, and for a moment I forgot about my feet and laughed. Draco could be genuinely funny sometimes, and not in the mean way.

"And I have to wear them again tonight...Merlin this isn't going to be good," I shook my head, already not looking forward to it. "I don't even know if I can make it down the stairs."

"Well good thing I'm here to help a damsel in distress," Draco said playfully, and suddenly swooped down to pick me up.

The action surprised me, and I held onto his neck for support. "Draco! What are you doing?" As I wiggled in his arms, my shoes slipped off and landed on the step below.

"Carrying you down," he replied simply, and swooped down again to pick up my shoes before continuing our descent.

We were in silence for a couple seconds.

"So, has anyone asked you to the Ball tonight?" Draco asked eventually.

"No," I pouted moodily.

_Okay_, I know I said that a girl didn't need a date to go someplace...but I would've liked it if _someone_ had at least asked me to go.

Even Hermione got asked! By a cute Ravenclaw boy too, which I would have to congratulate her on when I got back.

Ron was going with Lavender, which didn't help anybody's cause.

Harry was going with Luna and Ginny was going with Dean.

Seriously, why couldn't the two of them just...I don't know...get together!

I would have to talk to Ginny about that...and perhaps Harry as well...

"You bought a dress?" Draco's question brought me out of my reverie.

I nodded, "Oh yes – a very lovely one. Thanks, again." And in an action which surprised even myself, I leaned up and gave him a sweet peck on the lips.

Draco faltered slightly, nearly tripping down the step.

"Draco if we fall I'm going to blame _you_ when we go to Madame Pomfrey with all our bones broken," I warned, but was laughing anyway.

Draco didn't respond, and his face had changed. It looked like he was mulling over something in his mind.

Once we reached the bottom of the Astronomy Tower, Draco put me down gently onto my feet. I was turning around to thank him when he launched himself at me, holding my face in his hands and bringing my mouth to his.

After the momentary shock, I tentatively began to kiss back, holding onto the lapels of his all black suit.

The kiss ended all too quickly, as after only five seconds Draco pulled back.

"Take a hot bath to soothe your feet...I'll see you tonight," he whispered into my ear before turning swiftly and disappearing down the corridor.

_And Mr. Mercurial returns._

Shaking my head, I turned in the opposite direction and headed for the common room, heels in my hand.

* * *

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!"

Three voices assaulted me before I could even make it two feet into the common room. Without even looking I knew it was Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

_Quick, Christina, think of something!_

"I went up to the Astronomy Tower last night..." I mumbled.

"For what?" Ron asked.

"To just think...and I guess I fell asleep up there," I explained, trying to sound nonchalant. I think I managed. Besides, it was _partly_ the truth.

"You _what_?" Hermione questioned, shaking her head. "You could've gotten hypothermia!"

I shrugged, "I conjured up a blanket. I'm sorry for making you lot worry. What time is it, anyway?"

"Half past noon," Harry replied, still sounding suspicious. "I told Ron and Hermione what we heard yesterday," he also added.

I froze, "You did?" I whispered, barely intelligible. "And what do you both think?"

"It doesn't tell me anything more than I already knew...Malfoy's a Death Eater! He's working for Voldemort!" Ron shouted.

"Sh!" I whispered harshly, and then pulled them away from the eavesdropping ears of the students nearby. "You don't know that for sure."

"Surely you're not blind and deaf! It's clear what he's become!" Ron insisted.

"That's not true!" I protested, my heart sinking. "This is _Malfoy_ we're talking about. He's all bark and no bite. You really think he'd do something like this?"

It hurt to have to undermine Draco like this, but I had to make a solid argument.

"I think the little git would do anything to advance reputation!" Ron snarled.

"Just because you don't like Malfoy doesn't mean he's _definitely_ a Death Eater. As much as you _want_ to make him one, to add another reason to despise him, doesn't actually _make_ it true. You need to think clearly, Ron, and put your animosity aside right now," I snapped.

"Well _you_ certainly have," Ron quipped.

I blanched and narrowed my gaze at him, which he did right back.

"Okay, okay," Hermione held up her hands, trying to dispel the oncoming fight. "I think Christina is right, we can't just assume things like this, no matter what we hear or see."

Ron scoffed, but Hermione ignored him.

"But I also think we have to keep an eye on him, because something definitely isn't right," Hermione added.

"What is it with you, Hermione? You always assume the best in people!" Ron shook his head. "And Christina – I know you're cleverer than this...what's happened with you?"

"Christina and I are going to go upstairs for a bit, to get ready, we'll see you later...bye Harry," Hermione purposely ignored Ron as she dragged me upstairs.

_So they're still fighting, eh?_

Once we reached the dorm Hermione practically sat me on my bed.

"Christina..." she began, eyeing me warily. "Is there something you want to talk about? You know I'm here for you, whatever it may be."

I sighed and closed my eyes. Should I tell her? Maybe...but maybe not.

I made my decision.

"No, I'm fine for now, Herms. Thank you," I replied quietly.

Hermione studied me carefully before nodding. "Alright."

Deeming the conversation over, I made to stand up. Merlin, my feet were still really sore. I let out a soft groan.

"What's the matter?" Hermione asked, coming to my side.

"My feet...bloody heels," I seethed, rubbing my heel delicately. I remembered Draco's suggestion. "I'm going to take a bath, I won't be too long."

"Remember to wash your hair as well, you won't get another chance to shower later, with all the girls rushing around to get ready," Hermione explained.

I nodded with agreement, "Very true."

After grabbing some towels and soap, I closed the dormitory bathroom behind me.

There was one shower, one toilet, one sink, and one bath in the bathroom, to be shared with six girls.

Reaching down into the bath, I turned the faucet on and watched as the tub slowly filled with steaming hot water. I always liked the water extra hot, whenever I took a shower or bath. Other people complained that it was _too_ hot, but it never felt that way to me.

Once the tub was full I undressed and slipped in. I let out another groan, but this time it was in relaxation, rather than pain.

Squirting some of my raspberry scented soap into my palm, I began to massage it into my feet and body as I reflected in my thoughts.

Draco was taking _Pansy_ to the Ball. Seriously. And then he had the nerve to tell me not to go with anyone. I scoffed. If Draco could take someone, then so could I.

But that was the problem...no one asked me.

_I don't need someone to ask me! I can ask someone!_

I nodded in agreement with my inner thoughts.

That's what I was going to do. I was going to walk up to one of my friends, stamp my foot down, and just _ask_.

I smiled smugly and sunk down deeper into the water, soaking my hair. As I got to work washing it, more thoughts came to mind.

What was going to happen to Draco and I? We were on each side of the spectrum – light and dark.

Though he did have some light in him...just like I had some dark.

How could we find a middle ground, where both could be found?

Nothing was definite, everything was up in the air and scattered in a time like this.

I briefly wondered if it was like this the first time around, during the First Wizarding War.

Were people this on edge, this tense? Were they always anticipating a war that they knew would come? Were the streets safe? Were people able to be trusted?

All of these questions filled my mind, and I just couldn't get rid of them.

I would have to talk to Sirius about this – he would understand, undoubtedly.

Thinking of Sirius, I remembered the last letter I sent him.

_Padfoot,_

_Great to hear from you again...hope the Death Eaters aren't causing too much trouble for you. And I hope you aren't making too much trouble as well! You have quite a knack for that, I'd say. Please put your marauder tendencies aside (for now) and stay safe! I'm fairly well, surprisingly. I have my moments, but I'm mostly fine. Harry is okay too. You know, he still hasn't forgotten your offer for him to live with you...I think he needs to get away from the Dursleys. Hogwarts is...magical, and I meant that literally and figuratively. There's extra protection this year, though. Aurors are guarding the whole place. Dumbledore is well...he's handling things in way only Dumbledore can. I greatly admire him. And...you aren't too far from Hogwarts? Would it be possible to arrange a meeting? I really do miss you...and we have so much to catch up on. I'm so glad that Buckbeak is well. Hagrid misses him too, but he never really talks about it. I think it hurts him, and he has a lot on his mind this year. Write back when you can, and hopefully in the near future we'll see each other face to face. And also...Sirius, thank you so much for the owl. It means so much, I can't believe you! If he was a boy, I would've named him after you, but she's a girl, so I named her Jolra. I would explain why, but you wouldn't get it. Thanks again...love you!_

_Christina_

He hadn't responded yet, and I worried about him.

I really did miss Sirius, and I wanted to see him soon. I had so much to say, so much I wanted to ask. His safety was always on my mind.

"Christina, hurry up!" Hermione's voice cut me out of my thoughts, and I immediately straightened started to wash my hair out.

Reaching for the towel, I stood up slowly, and realized with great happiness that my feet actually felt better.

I stepped out of the bath and wrapped the towel around my body. Taking a second towel, I wrapped up my hair.

Once my body was dry, I changed into casual clothes and exited the bathroom.

"Finally!" Hermione sighed. "Are you okay? You took rather long."

"Yeah, fine," I shrugged. "Sorry, I just got lost in my thoughts."

Hermione smiled, "It's alright Christina...and don't start getting ready without me, okay?"

"Sounds good, Herms," I agreed, and Hermione scurried into the bathroom.

And now I was alone in the dorm. I was guessing my roommates were with their friends from other Houses, but they would soon be back to get ready. I was glad I got my shower in early.

I descended down the dormitory stairs and entered the Gryffindor common room. There were mostly boys scattered around in groups, with a handful of girls among them.

I noticed Ron sitting on the couch, and next to him...Lavender. Oh boy, he didn't look too happy as she basically tried to burrow in his lap.

One missing roommate found.

Ron caught my gaze and almost looked like he was asking me for help...but I was still upset with him. I continued to move through the common room until I rammed into another body.

"Neville!" I gasped, smiling up at him.

_Merlin, he really grew these last couple years. I used to be taller than him!_

"Christina!" Neville greeted, and focused on the towel on my head. "Uh – nice shower?"

"Bath, actually, but yes," I replied. "Are you attending the Ball tonight?"

Neville nodded, "Yeah I am, though I haven't asked anyone. And tomorrow I'm leaving for home. I promised Gran I'd spend the holidays with her. We're actually going to visit my parents."

I smiled fondly, my eyes crinkling. Reaching out, I rubbed his arm. "I think that's great, Neville," I said sincerely. "I hope you have a great break."

Suddenly, his first comment came into my mind.

"You said you haven't asked anyone to the Ball?" I questioned innocently.

"No, I haven't. I guess I'm just...not...well..." Neville trailed off, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

_Now's your chance, Christina. Go for it!_

"Would you, uh, want to go with me?" I asked slowly, twiddling my thumbs.

Neville's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "_What_? No one asked you?"

I sighed, once again reminded of my failure. "No," I mumbled.

Neville pat me on the shoulder a few times. "Christina, I'd love to go with you."

My face lit up, "Thanks, Neville!" I hugged him quickly and went back up to the dorm to tell Hermione the good news. I wasn't dateless!

Hermione was now out of the shower and drying her hair.

"Guess what!" I nearly shouted, jumping onto my bed.

Hermione flinched at my unexpected presence. "What, Christina?" she asked distractedly, trying to tame her mane.

"I have a date for the Ball!"

She smiled into the mirror. "That's great. Who is it?"

"Neville," I replied.

Hermione raised an amused eyebrow. "Neville asked you?"

I flushed slightly. "Well, technically I asked him...but he agreed!"

"Very well," Hermione chuckled.

"So let's talk about your date, Miss. Granger," I said suggestively. "He's rather cute, isn't it?"

Hermione shrugged, "I guess so."

I titled my head. "You _think_ so? Well _I_ think he is. But I also think you're just doing this to make-"

Before I could finish my sentence our dorm was filled with high pitched laughter and chatter as our roommates returned. They immediately darted to the bathroom, fighting to see who went first.

Hermione and I glanced at each other knowingly, and I was glad I decided to wash up before.

"How long until the Ball, Herms?" I asked, beginning to gather my dress and supplies.

"About two hours," she replied, finally finishing her hair.

_Merlin, I have to hurry!_

Hermione and I switched places so that I was at the mirror and she was going around the dorm.

Once I finished drying my hair about ten minutes later, I turned around to find my dress.

Hermione was already in her dress, and she looked stunning.

"Wow Herms, you scrub up well," I teased. "You look great."

Hermione blushed, "Thank you. Here's your dress."

I walked over and grabbed the garment before going behind my bed curtains. I slipped off my clothes and then shimmied into the dress. As it began to get tighter around my hips, I remembered that I wanted Hermione to try and loosen it.

"Hey Herms," I called out, and seconds later she was by my side. "The dress is a little tight around my hips; can you use a spell to loosen it or something?"

"Of course," Hermione pulled out her wand and pointed it at my hips. She muttered a spell I didn't recognize and I immediately felt the dress loosen. Pulling it up, I found that it was now a perfect fit.

"Thanks Herms!" I smiled, quickly zipping it up. I noticed that Hermione had managed to de-frizz her hair, and now it hung in loose waves around her shoulders. She also had her makeup done. "Your hair looks good...are you leaving it like that?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes, I am," She then studied me for a moment. "But I think you should put your hair up. Can I?"

I shrugged dismissively as she led me to the mirror. She sat me down and went to work.

After five minutes, she pinned the last piece of hair down and stepped back.

"Finished," she murmured, and I looked into the mirror. My hair was pulled back into soft waves at the back of my head, and my side bangs were flattened down and tucked behind my right ear.

"Thanks," I said, turning my head every which way to examine the style.

Our roommates were done with their showers now, and I knew they would be after the mirror soon. So I had to do my cosmetics quickly.

I usually didn't wear too much makeup, so I thought for a change that maybe I could wear a little extra, you know, change it up.

I put some light foundation on, gave myself a smoky eye, and then painted my lips with a soft ruby color.

And I was done...with twenty minutes to spare!

"Ready?" Hermione asked.

I nodded, "Let's go!"

After begrudgingly slipping into my black heels, Hermione and I descended the stairs.

We immediately saw Harry, Ron, and Neville shuffling around. They all looked up when they heard us approaching.

Neville stepped up to me and lifted up his hand but then put it down again. "You look...great. Both of you."

Oh bless him he was flushing such a dark red.

I rubbed his shoulder soothingly, "Thanks Neville."

Harry nodded his head appreciatively when I glanced over and Ron just stood still.

But then he shocked me by walking over, "Christina – mind if I have a word?"

"O-of course," I spluttered out, caught off guard. Ron led me to the other end of the common room.

"Christina, I wanted to apologize," Ron said quietly.

My eyes widened, but he continued.

"I'm sorry about what I said...I was just caught up, he murmured.

My face transformed into a small smile. "Thanks Ron. And I'm sorry too," I reached out and slung my arms around his neck. I felt his arms wrap around my back moments later. "Even if it's small, I hate it when we fight."

Ron grunted in agreement, "I know."

"Let's never fight again," I vowed.

Ron began to chuckle, "Do you really expect that to happen?"

I laughed too. "Definitely not. We're both too stubborn."

"So are we reconciled now?" Ron asked with amusement.

"I believe we are," I smiled cheekily. "You look very handsome. Nice robes."

Ron grumbled and looked down at his hand-me-down robes. "Yeah, sure."

I bit my lip. I didn't mean it sarcastically. "Ron, you know I understand," I said, fixing his robes slightly. "And you look fine. Don't pout."

"You look good, too," Ron looked me over. "And so does Hermione. Is she still upset with me?"

I smiled at the fondness in his tone. "She'll get over it. You'll get there, don't worry."

Before he could ask me more, I turned on my heel and headed back to our friends.

"Are we ready to go?" Harry asked, looking rather uncomfortable. I knew that fancy social events weren't really his thing.

Everyone murmured in confirmation.

* * *

The Great Hall was transformed. It looked like a Winter Wonderland, definitely resembling what they did for the Yule Ball a few years back.

It was definitely beautiful.

Harry had met up with Luna, and Hermione had joined her date as well.

Lavender had dragged Ron off somewhere, and we couldn't see him.

I noticed Ginny and Dean seated at one of the white covered tables, and they waved at us animatedly.

Clutching onto Neville's arm, he escorted me further into the Hall.

There were a lot of students here, many more than I expected. I guess everyone wanted to stay for the Ball before returning home for the rest of break.

Home for break...I didn't have a home to go to.

I shook myself out of my melancholy thoughts when I felt a table hit my side.

"Sit here, Christina, I'll get us some drinks," Neville instructed nervously.

I smiled at him, "You know, Neville, I could come with you?"

Neville shook his head, "It's only proper for me to get you a drink. I'll be right back."

As Neville walked away, I almost felt like tearing.

He really had come a long way. He went from being an awkward, nervous little pudgy boy to a polite gentleman. Still rather awkward, though.

But I knew that whoever was lucky enough to snag him would be treated with all the kindness and love in the world.

I was glad to be his friend, to know someone as strong as him.

I was thrown out of my thoughts when the man himself came back and handed me some pumpkin juice.

"Thanks, Neville," I said, taking a sip. "You wanna dance?" I knew that Neville was a good dancer; Ginny told me all about him during the Yule Ball.

"Yeah," Neville nodded, and held out his hand. I took it gratefully and let him lead me to the cleared out dance floor, which was occupied by a good handful of couples.

As we got into position, I draped my arms over his shoulders. The music playing was slow and casual, nothing too upbeat or rowdy. It was perfect dancing music. I think I recognized the musician as Celestina Warbeck. She was Mrs. Weasley's favorite musician.

Neville spun me around slightly, and once I regained my vision...I spotted him.

Draco was standing at the edge of the dance floor, a drinking glass in his hand. He was wearing his black suit, which was becoming more and more familiar with him.

And his eyes...oh his eyes. They were glaring daggers at me – or Neville, I couldn't tell.

Perhaps both?

I saw Pansy next to him, along with a couple other Slytherins. Actually, among them was Sadie Baldock, and I was rather good acquaintances with her.

Not all Slytherins were evil and mean – just most of the ones I've dealt with were.

Pansy was attaching herself to Draco like a leech, and I felt my shoulders tense at the sight. Neville frowned slightly, but I softened my eyes enough to let him know I was okay.

I looked back to Draco and we locked eyes. His scowl grew now that he knew he had my attention, and his eyes were ablaze. I turned back to Neville quickly. I knew he was angry...and jealous? Maybe.

Once the song ended Neville led me off the dance floor, just as Lavender was pulling Ron onto it.

His face was annoyed and frankly a little scared. Lavender could definitely be a bit much at times.

I downed the rest of my pumpkin juice and stood up. "I'm going for a refill, I'll be right back."

Before Neville could get up and insist he get it for me, I scurried away to the refreshment table.

The last person pouring themselves some pumpkin juice left, and I was standing there alone.

"So this is the dress my money bought," I heard someone murmur beside me.

I inclined my head to the side and spotted Draco, inconspicuously filling up his glass with some pumpkin juice.

I smirked. "Yes, it is. What do you think?" I asked quietly.

Draco paused for a moment. "I think you look beautiful."

I blushed at his unexpected compliment. "Thanks, Draco."

Draco inched closer to me, suddenly, but still remained far enough away to not draw attention or suspicion.

"So you came with Longbottom as your date?" he hissed, his tone now harsh and accusatory.

"Yes," I replied.

"I thought I asked you not to come with a date?"

"You came with _Pansy_," I hissed back. "So I came with Neville. Rein in your jealously. I am."

_Or at least I'm trying._

"You are, are you?" Draco rubbed his chin. "Alright, if that's how you want to play it Christina."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Draco..." I said in warning.

Draco's eyes were alight with amusement and challenge. "Don't push me, _Christina_." My name rolled off his tongue with such seduction that my knees almost buckled. "Enjoy the Ball."

Draco grabbed his glass and walked off without looking back.

_What is he planning?_

When he walked back to the group of Slytherins and began talking to Pansy, I knew his intention. He pulled her from the group and led her to the dance floor, all the while locking his eyes with mine and giving me a wicked smile.

I could feel the blood in my veins start to boil as my face twisted with sourness.

_Bloody Malfoy...the git. He knows exactly what he's doing._

I couldn't watch anymore. Grabbing my drink, I walked back to the table where Neville was waiting.

We made small talk, but I couldn't help but look towards the dance floor every once in a while. Draco and Pansy were still dancing, much to close for comfort.

Neville and I were soon joined by Harry and Luna, and we fell into easy conversation.

As much as I tried to fight it, I found myself turning back to the dance floor.

When my eyes fell upon Draco and Pansy, I huffed.

Suddenly my vision was blocked with another body. I looked up and made eye contact with...Terry!

"Hi Terry!" I said kindly, smiling.

"Christina," Terry greeted. "Would you like to accompany me for a dance?"

I bit my lip, uncertain, but when I looked back to Draco and Pansy I had my answer.

"Sure, Terry," I agreed, and looked to Neville. "Do you mind?"

Neville shook his head, "Not at all."

I smiled and got out of my seat. Before Terry could lead me to the dance floor I leaned down to talk into Neville's ear. "You should ask that Hannah Abbott to dance...she's been watching you all evening."

Neville's ears and cheeks immediately tinted red and he peeked over at her shyly.

Once Terry and I were on the dance floor, we assumed the proper position. The song changed and it turned into a faster song. It was by Myron Wagtail, one of my favorite musicians.

As Terry twirled me around the dance floor I really let loose and had fun. I never was an incredibly skilled dancer, but I never let that stop me. I just went with the flow and followed wherever my feet took me. Thankfully tripping was usually kept at a minimum.

We unconsciously began moving closer and closer to Draco and Pansy, and at one point we actually collided.

"Aren't you graceful, Miro? Watch where you're going!" Draco sneered.

I gave him a snarl. "I think it was _you_ who bumped into us."

"Yeah right!" Pansy screeched. "Don't come near us again."

I turned my snarl to Pansy. "I don't think that's possible. In that big pink puffy cloud you call a dress, I could spot you from across the Great Hall. Merlin, I could probably see you from the sky!"

Pansy screeched again in anger, but Draco held her back. He looked slightly amusement, but also angry.

Well I was angry too. "Come on, Terry." I pulled Terry away and started to dance again.

During this whole song Draco and I didn't break eye contact. Not once. It was very...affecting.

When the song ended I pulled away from Terry. "Thanks for the dance."

Terry smiled, "My pleasure," he said softly, kissing my hand.

Looking to Draco, I saw his eyes flare. He dismissed Pansy and began to walk out of the Great Hall. I understood his signal.

I swiftly exited the dance floor and slowly made my way out of the Great Hall, following Draco. He led me to the prefect's bathroom, and I stepped in after him.

Moments later I was pushed up against the bathroom door, and Draco slammed his body into mine. I gasped at the contact.

"You can dance with whoever you like – but save the last dance for _me_," Draco hissed, and then pressed his lips against mine.

I tangled my hands in his hair and tugged and pulled, causing Draco to groan into my mouth. He stepped away from me suddenly and grabbed the clip holding my hair back. He pulled it harshly from my head and it would've been painful if I wasn't so turned on. My hair tumbled down onto my back and across my shoulders.

Draco let out a guttural groan and weaved his fingers through my locks, pulling me to him again.

Our teeth clashed as we kissed, pouring all our anger, frustration, jealousy, and passion into it. I moved my hands under Draco's black blazer as I clamped down onto his lower lip. In a quick movement I pulled it down his shoulders and it fell to the floor.

My quick fingers then moved to his tie, loosening it before pulling it off completely.

Draco broke away from my lips only to begin trailing kisses and bites down my neck and then across my collarbone. When he reached the part that was covered by the shoulder strap, he slowly began to slide it down, following the newly exposed skin with his lips and tongue.

While still kissing my neck and shoulders his fingers moved down to my hips and dug into me, pulling me closer. I pushed my hips forward into his, beginning slow grinding movements. The sound Draco made was almost animalistic, and when he pushed into me with a rough thrust I nearly cried out.

I moved my hands to the bottom of his black undershirt and pushed my hands underneath it, feeling his smooth, rippled abdomen. Quidditch really did keep him fit. Breaking away from him, I pulled at the bottom of his shirt, making my intention clear.

Draco gave me an almost carnal smirk before pulling the shirt over his head. My eyes immediately roamed over his exposed chest and stomach.

The skin was pale and smooth, with a good portion of muscle tone. I suddenly got an urge to kiss him all over. I reached my hand out and ran it across his abdomen, close to the waistband of his pants. Draco practically shivered.

I launched myself at him, unable to hold back. My hands explored the newly exposed skin while my mouth trailed soft kisses across his jawline.

We were getting rougher and rougher, and suddenly the room was filled with thick arousal. When my fingernails glided down Draco's chest he growled and pulled away from me.

He looked me straight in the eyes, not blinking. "You're mine, Christina."

* * *

**A/N: Whew. Is it getting hot in here? Or is it just Draco and Christina? ;D Hope you enjoyed this chapter...it was so fun to write! Now time for shoutouts...**

******Thank you to __****xXMizz Alec VolturixX, chaansan, Potterhead313, Snipe Hunter 98, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, all the Guests, Megan, Nicky-Maree, Sasha, oXxgeorgiaxXo, misslagear, Notsilveraura, Alice-Ann Wonderland, StoryWriter23, SideshowJazz1, xxLiveLoveReadxx, ThePhantomismyLove, Xylia1014, xXChickenButt98Xx, maldilove, LoveIt2, BookButterfly2, Scrt Vlntn, MrsMoonshine, bookreader1617, Maeve Epans, HermioneThatCanDraw, crazy's wat i aim 4, Nightingalelynx, MrsHarryfreakingPotter, AziniliaGraceStories, nina-eponine, Gem, Megan, and leathyde!**

**R&R! :D**


	39. Leaving On A Midnight Train

**Disclaimer: rettoP yrraH nwo t'nod I. (I don't own Harry Potter backwards aren't I clever?) Some lines may be taken from The Half Blood Prince.**

* * *

_"You're mine, Christina."_

Draco's words played over and over in my mind, like a record on a loop.

His eyes were piercing, and I knew he was waiting for a response from me.

I put on my sharpest smirk. "Then I guess that means you're mine as well."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Do you think you're well prepared for that?"

"Not a chance," I breathed, smiling widely, before pulling him back to me.

Draco placed both of his hands on each side of my head, and leaned down to touch my lips softly with his. This kiss was different than the first. It was slow, sweet, and tender.

When I tried to deepen it, Draco pulled away. He suddenly slipped away from me and went further into the bathroom, stopping against one of the stone walls and sliding down until he was in a sitting position.

"Come here," Draco practically purred, and my feet moved before I even told them to. Draco reached out his arm and I put my hand in his. He pulled me down quickly so that I plopped into his laps, and his arms wrapped around me. I placed my head against his bare chest.

"What if someone comes in?" I murmured after a few quiet seconds.

"We'll have to do some extensive memory charms," Draco replied.

I lifted my head to meet his eyes in a flash. Was he serious? There was amusement in his eyes, but I still couldn't tell if he was joking or not. I slowly put my head back against his chest, and I felt his hand start to draw indecipherable patterns on my back.

"Are you alright, Draco?" I asked suddenly, not even realizing the words left my mouth.

Draco tensed. "Why wouldn't I be alright, Christina?" he asked softly. His hand was still drawing against my back, though.

"You're paler...much paler now. And you look so drawn. And you said it yourself, you're not sleeping," I said.

"I slept fine last night," he murmured, seeming to be contemplating the thought himself.

"When you were with me?" I asked.

"_Because_ I was with you, perhaps," Draco responded, stilling his fingers. "Christina please don't start with this again, I don't want to fight with you right now."

I sighed, but I was in agreement. "We're going to have to come to terms with this someday, Draco. And it may be soon."

"I know," Draco mumbled. "But until then, let's keep whatever peace we have."

"There's no _peace_ Draco," I protested quietly, not having it in me to raise my voice right now. And someone would hear. "There will never be peace unless Voldemort is destroyed."

Draco closed his eyes and took in a sharp intake of air. "Christina – enough."

I pursed my lips, turning my head away from him.

"I know you're pursing your lips," Draco chuckled with amusement – another mood change. "I have something to ask you."

I glanced at him curiously, "If you're going to ask me to accompany you to Malfoy Manor for the holidays the answer is _no_. The biggest no ever known in history."

"I'm glad you seem to enjoy my home so much," Draco replied sarcastically. "Actually, Christina, I'm not going home for the holidays."

Well _this_ little tidbit of information caught my full, undivided attention.

Draco always went home for any holiday or break. It's been that way since the first day I met him.

"What?" I questioned. "But you always spend breaks with your family?"

"I have more important things to do here," Draco shrugged.

A cold wave of anguish washed over my heart. "Like what?" I asked, my voice barely over a whisper.

"Now that would be telling," Draco replied, with no hint of humor or amusement whatsoever.

We sat in silence once more, both mulling over our own thoughts.

"What was the original question you wanted to ask me?" I asked eventually.

Draco perked up, "Oh – would you like to accompany me to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"

I froze, "As a...date?"

Draco rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If you'd like it to be. I guess we're due for one."

I almost laughed at his phrasing, but another idea came to mind. "Won't people see us and get suspicious?"

"Not if we're careful. We'll just have to keep a low profile," Draco said simply.

"Easier said than done," I pointed out.

"Perhaps – but I have faith in our abilities."

A small smile appeared on my face. "Alright. So do I."

We were bathed in silence once more.

"So...Christmas is coming up," I murmured after a while.

"Yes, it is," Draco hummed in agreement. "Do you enjoy Christmas?"

I bit my lip. "I guess."

Draco could sense the hesitation in my answer. "Christina – what is it?"

I shrugged. "I don't know...Christmas with my family was never a happy time – for me, anyway."

Over the past school years, I had been asked to return home for the Christmas break a total of two times.

In second and third year.

Both of those times my whole entire family had come over. Meaning my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.

All Slytherin. All pureblood. All biased and cruel.

I was ignored most of the time, and when I wasn't ignored I was insulted.

In third year was when I really started to fight back, and my parents actually sent me to my room for the rest of the evening because I couldn't 'keep my undignified trap shut'.

I literally had no family to turn to – no one to take me in.

And don't even get me _started_ on what I got for Christmas. _If_ I got anything at all.

One year my parents actually gave me a single sock. Just one sock.

And the year after they gave me a half-eaten piece of chocolate.

That's all.

I didn't even bother getting them anything – it wasn't worth it.

"I was constantly ridiculed for being an ungrateful Gryffindor – by my entire family. And I rarely ever got presents. Just from my friends and the people I _actually_ consider family," I shrugged indifferently. "How do you spend Christmas?"

Draco looked rather guilty. "We have a big feast at the Malfoy Manor and all the family comes over – well, the ones we're on good terms with. I get a good share of presents."

"I expected no less," I murmured.

"What do you want for Christmas this year?" Draco asked suddenly.

I paused, "Uh – I haven't thought about it. Why?"

"Maybe...I...wanted to get you something," Draco said softly.

I tilted my head to the side, "Is that so? Then...what would you like?"

Draco went to respond, but paused suddenly. "You know – I haven't thought about it either."

More silence surrounded us.

All this talk of Christmas left me with uneasy thoughts and feelings.

How was I going to afford gifts for everyone? _Merlin, I don't think I'll be able to._

I felt Draco's hand cupping my chin and tilting it up towards him. "What's wrong?" he asked, tugging my lip from my teeth. I hadn't realized I was biting down on it.

I sighed, "I don't know how I'm going to afford everything, that's all."

"Don't worry about that, I'll take care of it," Draco said assuredly.

I sighed again. "I can't keep taking money from you, Draco. It's wrong. I feel like I'm stealing."

"I think I'm giving you the money rather freely and willingly," Draco replied simply.

"That's not the point!"

"Then what is, Christina?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I need to support myself. I'm not a charity case."

Draco raised his eyebrows, "And I never said you were. I _want_ to help you. It's _okay_ to accept help."

"That's rich coming from you, Draco," I snapped more harshly than I meant to.

Draco became silent.

"Sorry," I mumbled, shuffling in his arms. "You should try taking your own advice, maybe."

I felt Draco tense and decided to drop the topic.

"You know," Draco began, surprising me by speaking. "I haven't seen Dumbledore these past few days."

Immediately my body became on edge. _What do I say? _"Oh you know...he's around..." I trailed off, shrugging.

Draco hummed, "Really? Alright."

And then we were silent again, but I was still uneasy.

"Do you think we should go back to the party?" I questioned quietly.

"If you want to go back, we will," Draco said, but tightened his hold around me.

"No," I replied, leaning my head against his bare shoulder. "Let's stay...but we _cannot_ fall asleep," I said sharply.

Draco held up his hands, "I'll try."

I gave him a dazzling smile and leaned in to give him a slow kiss. Draco responded almost immediately, and we broke apart, both flushed and dizzy.

Putting my head down against his chest, I let my eyes drift closed.

* * *

"Christina..."

I heard someone whispering in my ear, it tickled me.

"Christina."

There it was again, I tried to fight it off.

Someone groaned next to me, and the next thing I knew I was being...tickled?

No matter how much I tried, I couldn't ignore it, and my eyes popped open and an involuntary laugh left my throat.

"Finally," Draco muttered, taking his offending hand off of me.

"What's the matter?" I asked petulantly.

"You told me not to fall asleep – so I didn't. It's getting late and I've heard some movement in the corridor. The students must be returning to their dorms now," Draco explained.

I sighed, "Fine." Pushing off of Draco, I used the wall to help me up.

"I'll leave first," Draco said.

I nodded and watched as Draco gathered his clothes quickly and redressed. I couldn't help my pout – he really did look fit with just his black slacks on.

"Like something you see, Christina?" Draco smirked, obviously amused.

"I've been better," I shrugged, smirking myself.

Draco lost the amused twinkle in his eye and strode quickly over to me.

In a moment I was up against the wall and Draco had my hands in a vice like grip over my head.

"I'd like to humbly disagree," he hissed, his minty breath washing over my face and making me want to lean in and nuzzle him.

"Then how about you stay here and prove it to me," I challenged, suggestively grinding my hips into his.

Draco closed his eyes and took in a sharp breath through clenched teeth. When his eyes reopened, they were dark and dangerous. "Don't tempt me, Christina."

The smirk was back on my face and it was absolutely lascivious. I pushed against his body and turned the tables on him. In a flash, _his_ back was against the opposite wall, and I was rubbing his chest up and down sensually.

"You'll find that I can be very persuasive," I rasped out, and Draco's eyes widened in response.

But I knew better than to start something we couldn't finish – a student could walk in at any time.

Though, I couldn't say that _wasn't_ a turn on.

Just as Draco was about to lean in and no doubt kiss me, there was noise and movement outside the door.

I nearly shrieked, but I was able to restrain myself as I grabbed a hold of Draco's arm and pulled him into a stall. Hopping into his arms, I wrapped my legs around him so that only his legs were visible.

This was a boy's lavatory, after all.

Two male voices entered the room as they went into each of the stalls next to ours.

I tried to keep as silent as possible...but then I felt Draco began to trail light kisses along my neck. I almost moaned and slapped a hand over my mouth, looking down at Draco with warning.

Draco merely continued his sensual assault on my neck, not stopping or even slowing down.

_This git is really testing me..._

When the toilets flushed Draco bit down particularly hard, and I let out a little gasp.

Luckily I wasn't overheard.

Once both students washed their hands and exited the lavatory, I disentangled myself from Draco and stormed out of the stall.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" I asked with narrowed eyes.

Draco regarded me with ill-disguised amusement. "I know I am."

I rolled my eyes, "So Hogsmeade tomorrow. What time should I be ready?"

"In the morning...I'll owl you," Draco suddenly rushed towards me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Don't be upset with me," he murmured, kissing my neck again.

I couldn't help the smile that crept onto my face. "We should get going," I reminded him.

Draco left me with another kiss before pulling away reluctantly. "As you wish. I'll leave first. See you in the morning, Christina." He leaned down and gave me a sweet peck on the lips before heading out of the bathroom swiftly.

I waited for about a minute before sticking my head out the door. The coast was clear. Quickly, I scurried out of the boy's lavatory and headed down the corridor, trying to act nonchalant. I managed to make it to the Gryffindor common room with no interruptions or problems.

A few Gryffindors were already here, but it looked like most of my friends were still gone. I headed up to my dorm and undressed, rummaging through my trunk for a night gown. Finding a comfy one, I tossed it on and then went to the bathroom to wash up.

After ten minutes in the bathroom I exited and found Hermione walking around the dorm.

"Christina!" she gasped. "We've been looking for you – where have you been?"

_Quick Christina – think!_

"I started to feel really ill," I began, putting a hand over my forehead. "My head hurt...I decided just to come back to the dorm and rest."

Hermione's face twisted with concern. "Christina, are you alright? You should lay down and get a good night's sleep," she instructed.

I nodded, "You're right. I'll see you in the morning?" I hoped into my bed and pulled the covers over my body. When Hermione disappeared into the bathroom, a slow smile grew across my face.

Tonight was a really good night.

* * *

I woke up early the next morning, before any of my roommates. Even Hermione.

Climbing out of bed, I immediately picked through my trunk for some clothes. I put on a large beige wool sweater and jeans.

As I made my way to the bathroom to wash up, a quiet pecking noise attracted my attention from the window nearest my bed.

I tiptoed over to it and saw an owl. Not _just_ an ordinary owl though...it was Fane. Draco's owl.

After I swiveled open the window slightly, Fane swooped in, landing on my bed.

"Hi Fane," I whispered, smiling sweetly. "Have you got something for me or are you just coming for an impromptu visit?"

Fane hooted and I looked down at his legs. There was a small package tied to one of them.

"A special delivery then," I said, untying the parcel from the owl.

Pulling away the wrappings, I opened the small box.

The first thing I saw was a letter.

_Christina,_

_I can't accompany you to Hogsmeade today; I have things I must attend to. I have left you with some galleons for shopping money. Don't fight me on this, just use it. _

_The Cleverest Boy You Know_

I frowned at his clipped tone in the short letter. This didn't seem like his usual self – although the signature held some of his ready wit.

I frowned again at the second sentence. He gave me more money.

It was always hard for me to accept things, especially from people I once considered my enemy.

_Do I still think that?_

No. He's not the enemy.

_He just works for him_. Another voice in my head snapped, but I tried to ignore it.

Accepting things from people only made me dependent, and I always prided myself on being _independent_. I was caught between a rock and a hard place.

After a moment's contemplation, I just decided to accept the money.

I checked in the box – it was fifty galleons.

Fifty galleons! That was more than my entire life savings right now!

_I'll have to thank Draco the next time I see him. I wonder what he's up to?_

I gave Fane some owl treats Hermione had on her dresser counter and then opened the window up so he could fly away.

After he gave a farewell hoot, he soared away into the sky.

"Did I just hear an owl?" Hermione mumbled sleepily, sitting up in her bed.

I shut the window quickly. "No...no owl. Are you hearing things now, Hermione?"

Hermione covered a yawn. "Maybe it was a dream. How are you feeling this morning?"

At first I was confused, but then I remembered my excuse from last night. "Oh – I'm better. I feel rather well actually. Maybe we can go back to Hogsmeade today?"

Hermione nodded after a few seconds, "I do have to get some Christmas shopping done I suppose. Alright then. Let me just tidy up."

"Do you mind if I invite Harry and – er, Ron?" I asked hopefully.

Hermione clenched her jaw. "You can invite whomever you want, Christina," she said sharply, before turning around and going into the lavatory.

I took that as a begrudging yes.

After I packed away my money into my bag, I hopped down the stairs and stopped when I reached the bottom of the boy's dormitory steps.

"Harry! Ron!" I whisper shouted. It took a couple minutes for one of them to actually come down.

It was Harry, who still looked to be half asleep.

"What? Christina? What it...what is?" he asked, his words jumbled.

"Get ready because we're going to Hogsmeade. Tell Ron too! And if you go back to sleep Merlin help me Harry I will come up there and get you myself!" I warned, but kept a playful edge to my voice.

Harry didn't seem too fazed, however. "Alright...alright. We'll be down...soon..." he trailed off, closing his eyes, and after I hit him lightly on the shoulder, he woke again and headed back up the stairs.

Hermione joined me in the common room minutes later, and we waited patiently for the boys.

They arrived within ten minutes, still looking tired.

"How late did you get back last night?" I asked curiously.

"Late," Ron replied emphatically, and I heard Hermione scoff.

We went to the Great Hall for some breakfast, and I was surprised to see a good handful of students there.

Piling our plates with breakfast food, we ate in silence until the morning mail came.

Jolra didn't bring me anything today. There was still no word from Sirius.

Ron and Hermione, however, got letters.

"It's from mum," Ron murmured, beginning to read his. He got a sudden smile on his face. "She wants to know if you lot want to stay at The Burrow for the rest of break?"

I nearly cheered with excitement. "Yes!" I said, nodding happily. Harry agreed as well. "Herms?" I questioned.

Hermione pursed her lips. "This is a letter from my parents. They want me to spend the holiday with them."

"Oh...alright," I sighed. "Three out of the four friends together, not too bad, huh?"

We all shrugged.

"You want to leave tonight, then?" Ron asked. "The last train home leaves tonight."

Harry nodded, "Sounds good, mate."

"Fine by me," I seconded. "Well then. Let's get to Hogsmeade!"

* * *

It was a pain having to hide under the Invisibility Cloak just to go to Hogsmeade, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

Once the coast was deemed clear, I hid someplace safe and whipped it off, stuffing it back into my bag.

"Where do you lot want to go first?" I asked, rejoining my friends.

"I have to do some Christmas shopping, would you like to accompany me Christina?" Hermione asked.

I nodded, "Sure. Harry, Ron – what are you going to do?"

"The same, probably. Do you want to meet up at the Three Broomsticks in let's say two hours?" Harry asked.

"Fine with me, see you!" I smiled as Hermione and I walked away in the opposite direction.

"Do you know all the people you're shopping for?" Hermione asked as we strolled down the snowy street.

"I think so...but I'm just ghastly at Christmas shopping," I muttered.

"I'm sure you're not too bad. You get me good things every year," Hermione reassured.

"Glad to hear it. I hope I've improved, though. I never had much experience Christmas shopping before coming to Hogwarts," I explained.

Hermione pat me on the back. "You're fine."

As we went into each shop, I began to spot little things I knew my friends would like.

My Christmas list this year went as follows: Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, Neville, Sirius, Hagrid, Fred, George, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and finally...Draco.

Thinking of all the people I had to shop for, I was glad Draco gave me some money.

_I__'ll have to make his present extra special. _I smirked to myself.

When Hermione and I stopped by Honeydukes, I nearly combusted.

Honeydukes was probably my favorite shop here. I gaped and gawked at all the candies and sweets around, and Hermione had to physically tug me to get me to move.

We spent a little extra time in there, I'd say.

I think we managed to get to all the shops in Hogsmeade before our two hours were up.

_And_ I even managed to get a gift for everyone on my list.

I got Hermione a new set of her favorite quills.

I got Harry some packaged treacle tart – his favorite dessert.

I got Ron a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.

I got Ginny some new broomstick polish.

I got Neville a book on Herbology.

I got Luna some packaged pudding.

I got Hagrid a new pair of gloves – for dealings with cooking or the handling of exotic creatures.

Sirius' gift was rather difficult to choose. In the end, I bought I nice picture frame and decided to put a photo of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I in it. I figured that he may get lonely at times, so having a reminder of friends and family would be cherished.

I got Fred and George a prank item from Zonko's Joke Shop. It was a type of button that when you pushed it it would make an obnoxious sound. And the sound varied every time you pushed the button.

I got Mr. and Mrs. Weasley some yarn. I knew Mrs. Weasley's fondness of knitting traditional Weasley sweaters.

And finally there was Draco.

He probably was the hardest to shop for out of everyone.

In the end, I decided to get him a small woven band – a bracelet of sorts.

Although I was able to scrawl in a personalized message on it.

_You think you're so clever, don't you?_

I always seemed to be saying that to him...I hoped he would understand the reference.

Maybe it would mean something to him. Or maybe it would mean nothing.

I also got him a small little black leather diary – thought I _was_ a bit wary. The last time I came in contact with a diary things didn't turn out so well.

But Draco never talked to anyone about his feelings or inner thoughts. I thought, maybe, he would be able to write it down and let it out on paper.

So those were my Christmas gifts.

The total price came to twenty-nine galleons – not too bad.

That bumped my total life savings up to sixty-two galleons, three sickles, and nineteen knuts.

I'd consider that fairly well since I didn't even have a job yet.

My bags shuffled against each other as Hermione and I walked back to the Three Broomsticks. We saw Harry and Ron at the counter, sipping on some butterbeer.

"Hello boys," I smiled, patting them on the backs. "All done shopping?"

"Thankfully," Ron mumbled. "It was rather hard this year."

"Agreed," I murmured. "Madame Rosemerta, can we have two more please?"

Madame Rosemerta nodded her head but remained silent, filling up two mugs with butterbeer.

That was quite odd – she was usually very loud and talkative.

I sipped on my butterbeer curiously after she handed them to us.

"Does Madame Rosemerta seem...a bit out of sorts to you?" I asked quietly.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all turned their heads to study her.

She was standing stock still, not moving unless someone asked for a refill.

"A bit," Ron nodded. "What do you think is wrong?"

I contemplated for a moment, "I don't know."

After we paid for our drinks we made our way back to Hogwarts.

As Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I made small talk – I noticed Katie Bell and her friend Leanne in front of us. They seemed to be arguing.

"Katie – you don't know what it could be," Leanne protested.

"I know what I'm doing," Katie stated coldly.

They got farther away from us – so I couldn't hear much after that.

Just as I opened my mouth to say something to my friends, a terrible screamed echoed out from in front of us.

We froze in our place as we saw Katie on the ground, Leanne scrambling beside her.

"I warned her! I warned her not to touch it!" Leanne kept screaming.

Katie twitched and shook on the snow covered ground, almost looking to be in a seizure, but suddenly she rose up from the ground, like she was about to take flight.

Her arms stretched out on either side of her, and her legs were pointed down, perfectly still. The only thing moving was her eyes, which, while closed, seemed to be darting in all directions.

When Katie finally opened her eyes, they were wide and dazed, and suddenly she let out another horrible scream. This time she didn't stop.

Her screams were echoing through the surrounding area, and the four of us had to hold our ears.

Moments later Katie was almost violently thrown to the ground – where she continued to twitch.

Before we could rush forward to see what happened, a loud voice boomed in the distance.

"Don't get any closer – get back, all of you."

Hagrid appeared from the white foggy distance, slowly stepping up to Katie's limp form.

"Oh no," I heard him murmur when he finally reached her. He gingerly lifted her body – it was clear she was unconscious – or perhaps worse.

Harry moved first, and he carefully stepped towards the large package that was next to Katie's body.

"Do not touch that," Hagrid instructed sternly. "Except for the wrappings, do you understand?"

When Harry unfolded the wrappings we saw a large opal necklace. It was beautiful.

How could this have caused what happened to Katie?

* * *

"Are you sure Katie did not have this in her possession when she entered the Three Broomsticks?" McGonagall asked Leanne.

We were crowded in McGonagall's office – Harry, Ron, Hermione, Leanne, and I.

"It's like I said, professor," Leanne began. "She left to go to the loo – and when she came back she had the package," Leanne paused slightly. "She said it was important that she deliver it."

"Did she say to who?" McGonagall asked.

"To Professor Dumbledore," Leanne replied.

McGonagall nodded stiffly, "Very well. Thank you Leanne, you may go."

Leanne bowed her head politely and exited the room.

McGonagall then swiveled around to face us, where we were waiting in uneasy silence.

"Why is it that when something happens it is always you four?" she questioned sternly.

"Believe me, professor, I've been asking myself the same question for six years," Ron replied honestly.

We all gave each other looks.

"Oh Severus," McGonagall said suddenly, and the four of us turned around to see Snape walk through the door and towards McGonagall.

There was no more small talk, Snape got right to work on examining the large opal necklace. He used his wand to make it levitate in the air, looking at it closely.

"What do you think?" McGonagall asked him.

"I think Miss. Bell is lucky to be alive," Snape responded in his signature bland voice, rotating the necklace in midair.

"She was cursed, wasn't she?" Harry blurted out, and Hermione sharply grabbed his arm in warning. "I know Katie; off the Quidditch pitch she wouldn't hurt a fly. If she was delivering that to Professor Dumbledore she wasn't doing it knowingly."

"Yes...she was cursed," McGonagall answered after a few moments, her voice soft.

"It was Malfoy," Harry spoke, and I felt the floor go out from under me. This time _I_ grabbed onto his arm in warning.

It was one thing to have quiet suspicions, but a whole other thing to make public accusations.

McGonagall's eyes widened in shock as she turned to face Harry, "That is a very serious accusation, Potter."

"Indeed," Snape turned around leisurely, his eyes narrowed and calculating. "Your evidence?"

I saw Harry clench his jaw. "I just know."

"You just know?" Snape repeated, his voice laced with mock surprise. "Once again you astonish me with your gifts, Potter; gifts mere mortals can only dream of possessing. How grand it must be...to be The Chosen One."

The room was filled with absolute silence, with Snape and Harry having a stare off, Ron, Hermione, and I looking at each other with surprise, and McGonagall studying all of us.

"Well then, I suggest you go back to your dormitories – all of you," McGonagall eventually instructed, and we slowly shuffled out of the room.

"Are you _mental_, Harry?" I asked harshly once we were far enough away. "You can't accuse Malfoy with no evidence!" I practically shouted.

Harry didn't even turn to face me as he continued walking. "But I do have evidence."

I froze in place, causing Ron to slam into me. "What evidence?" My voice was barely above a whisper.

"Remember when I told you I saw Malfoy in Diagon Alley over the summer?" Harry asked, and I nodded stiffly. "Well he went into Borgin and Burkes. And when I went to see what he was up to...I saw that same necklace in the window. That's not a coincidence."

I blanched. That would have to be a _major_ coincidence.

"You still don't have solid proof, Harry," Hermione was the one to speak this time. "I told you we would watch him – you can't publicly go around accusing him of things!"

We all were silent for a while after that.

"It's lucky that Dumbledore is traveling," I murmured. "But the necklace never would've got to him anyway. What do you think will happen to Katie?" I asked.

"She has to be taken to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries," Hermione replied. "Madame Pomfrey won't be able to tend to her here."

No one made any conversation after that, and we finished our trek to the Gryffindor common room in silence.

* * *

That silence continued as we tended to our gifts – wrapping and bagging them.

Once I was through with that, I hopped up the steps leading to the girl's dormitory and got to packing.

"I'm going to miss you, Christina," Hermione broke the silence, also packing on her bed. "Will you owl me?"

"Of course, Herms. And I'll miss you too," I assured.

The packing actually didn't take that long, and within ten minutes I had my trunk all packed and ready to go.

And then it came time to hand out all of the gifts - to the people we wouldn't see over break.

Hermione and I exchanged gifts up in the dorm, and it took all of my willpower to pack it away and not rattle it around and spurt out guesses.

Finding Neville was easy enough, as he was sitting on the common room couch. We exchanged gifts as well.

"Are you leaving for home, Neville?" I asked, the gift he gave me clutched tightly in my hand. Hopefully it wasn't something easily broken.

"Yes, Gran is expecting me tonight," Neville nodded. "And we're going to visit my parents the day after Christmas."

I smiled and ran to him for a hug. "Merry Christmas, Neville. I hope you have a good break."

"Thanks, Christina. You too," Neville pat my back a few times awkwardly until I pulled away.

The next person I found was Luna. She was reading by herself in the library.

"Thank you for the present, Christina," Luna said airily. "And I promise to tell you I like it, even if I don't," she whispered, like she was telling me a secret.

I laughed as she pulled out a small package from her bag and handed it to me. "Okay Luna - and I'll do the same."

Hagrid was next on my list, and I traveled down to his hut.

"Christina - what a nice surprise!" Hagrid smiled fondly, ushering me into his hut.

"Ron, Harry, and I are leaving tonight for The Burrow, and Hermione is staying with her parents. I just wanted to give you this," I produced a small wrapped parcel from my bag and handed it to Hagrid.

He smiled, "Well thank yeh, Christina. Oh - I've got somethin' for yeh too," Hagrid stood up, brushing against the hanging pots and pans, making them bang and clash. "Here," he said, handing me a small wrapped package.

"Thanks Hagrid!"

And finally...there was Draco.

I still had no idea how I was going to get his gift to him. Even as I paced back in my dormitory, I still couldn't think of anything.

The solution to my problem, however, came in the form of an owl, Fane specifically, tapping against my window. I rushed over and pushed the window open.

Fane had a note tied to one of his legs, so I quickly undid it and opened it.

_Christina,_

_Meet me at the Astronomy Tower._

_World's Best Quidditch Seeker._

I had a good laugh at his signature as I quickly gathered his gift in my arms.

"Herms - I'll be right back!" I called to her through the bathroom door.

I didn't catch her response, but I knew it must've been something like 'okay' or 'alright'.

After I exited the Gryffindor common room, I headed for the Astronomy Tower.

Wary of the ice and snow, I climbed the steps carefully until I reached the top.

Draco was already there, leaning against the railing, looking out at the scenery.

"You're punctual," he noted, not even turning around.

"Draco? What are you doing up here? The letter said 'World's Best Quidditch Seeker'. I was expecting Viktor Krum," I teased him.

When Draco turned around to face me, my breath caught.

He looked as pale as the falling snow behind him – and his eyes were bloodshot and tired.

"Draco – are you okay?" I asked, stepping closer to him. I remembered the accusation Harry threw out only hours ago and my heart clenched.

What if he was right?

"You've been...at the castle all day, right?" I asked, wanting confirmation.

Draco let out a breath, "Yes, I was Christina."

I nodded. He sounded honest.

Or maybe I just _wanted_ to believe him. I never was gullible or oblivious, but sometimes with matters of the heart that was all we could be.

"I'm spending the rest of break at The Burrow," I informed him.

Draco's eyes widened before he adopted a cool resolve. "Are you _sure_ they can provide for one more?" he sneered.

I pointed my finger at him, "_Don't_ start with me right now. I don't want to leave things off badly. Just...don't talk about them that way. Okay?" I snapped, waiting for his answer.

Draco pursed his lips for a few moments before letting out an explosive sigh. "Fine," he finally muttered.

We were silent for a few moments.

"I..." I began, breaking the silence. "I never got to thank you. For giving me that money. It really helped. You didn't have to."

"I know," Draco said simply. "But I wanted to."

A small smile appeared on my face, "I got you something." From behind my back I produced the wrapped package.

Draco reached out and took the gift, looking it over curiously.

"And _don't_ open it until tomorrow," I warned.

"I will not open it," Draco said, as if reciting a pledge.

I couldn't help but giggle. "And...did you get me anything?"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Was I supposed to?"

"You're the one who first suggested it!" I reminded him sharply.

Draco rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I was, wasn't I? I guess I must've forgotten."

I pushed him back lightly, chuckling. "You're a git."

Draco held up his hands defensively, "Alright, alright. Here you are."

From his pocket, Draco pulled out a small package. He gently placed it in my awaiting hands.

"There you are. Happy, now?" he asked with amusement.

"Ecstatic," I mumbled, looking it over. "Thanks," I smiled up at him.

"I'm going to miss you, you know," Draco said, looking away. "Will you miss me?"

I mulled the question over in my mind. "Yes, I will," the answer was sudden and true.

When Draco turned to look at me again, his dead eyes were alive with emotion. There was fondness, somewhere in there, but I also saw sadness, regret, and longing.

Our lips met without any more words – none were needed.

As we kissed, I realized that I really would miss him. I was worried for him too, worried about what he might do. And I wouldn't be there to witness or stop it.

That thought gave me shivers – or maybe it was just the cold.

I broke from the kiss and put my hands on either side of his face.

"Draco," I said emphatically. "While I'm gone – don't do anything you'll regret."

His eyes widened slightly, and his expression was pained.

The expression told me that maybe...he already had.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Another chapter - done! Hope you all enjoyed! Thanks again for all your wonderful reviews...they mean the absolute world. Next chapter is Christmas at the Burrow. I cannot wait to write that - it's going to be fun! R&R! :D**


	40. Darkness and Light

**Disclaimer: At the end of the day you're another day older! And that's all you can say when you don't own Harry Potter! (I don't own Harry Potter - I hope you're enjoying the sporadic Les Miserables references)**

* * *

The train ride to King's Cross was a quiet one.

I sat on one of the benches in the small compartment next to Ginny, while Harry and Ron sat opposite of us.

There were times when we tried to make small talk – but we each could tell it was either forced or half-hearted. It was getting late in the evening, and right now we all just needed a good night's sleep and a clear head.

Hopefully that would come tomorrow morning.

While I watched the dark scenery whip passed the window on my right, I let my mind wander.

I would miss Hogwarts – I would. It was my home, and I always felt like I was my best self when I was there; at my sharpest, strongest, smartest...happiest.

But even I knew that spending at least a couple days at The Burrow would be good.

It gave me time to think – time away from Draco.

Whenever we were together reason and thought didn't matter, all that mattered was him and the fact that we were together. It was best that we spent time apart; we each needed some independence – to _really_ think about the things happening in our lives, in the world.

Saying goodbye to Hermione was bittersweet. As we exchanged gifts, we made a silent promise to owl each other, and alert the other if anything majorly important was to happen.

So now here the four of us were, sitting in silence. We sometimes caught eyes, and there would be a message in them, saying things would be okay. It was rather comforting in the overwhelming quiet.

Finally we reached King's Cross.

I heaved my trunk out of the holding compartment and rolled it down the aisle, with Ginny, Harry, and Ron following. Once we exited the train, I scanned the platform carefully. There was a good amount of people there, mostly parents waiting for their children to arrive.

"Are your parents coming to fetch us?" I asked Ron, the first words that were spoken since we left Hogwarts.

"Yeah," Ron replied, "But they're _always_ so late."

"I'm hurt!" A mocking familiar voice rang through the crowd. "_We_ were here before you, Ronald!"

It was Fred.

Once I spotted two heads of ginger hair, I automatically recognized Fred and George.

"Fred, George!" I shouted, quickening my pace. My trunk was tipping from side to side, making my stride uneven.

"Hey look, it's Christina!" George smiled widely. "Mum didn't tell us you were coming."

"_Dad_ didn't either...we must be out of the loop," Fred input.

"It was last minute," Ron explained, finally reaching us. "Harry's here too."

"Wicked," Fred and George said in unison. "It's gonna be a good Christmas."

As we crossed the barrier and got back to where the muggles were, we huddled in a group, walking in the direction Fred and George took.

"How did you two get here?" I heard Ron asked from beside me. "Apparition? Or have you created a trick that will make you sport wings and fly?"

"A very outstanding guess, Ron, and we do appreciate your belief in our abilities – but no. We took the Ford Anglia," George replied smoothly.

I nearly tripped. "_Please_ tell me you didn't fly it here? I don't trust you Weasleys with flying cars. Actually, I don't trust cars in general."

"That's because you never learned how to drive, dear Christina. Quite an experience, I must say," Fred said.

"You're going to drive us home?" Ginny asked this time.

"Let's hope your driving has gotten better since my second year," Harry murmured.

"Oh yeah – I remember," George nodded. "When we rescued you from the muggles?"

"I don't remember you complaining about our driving _then_, Potter," Fred added.

"There were bars on my window!" Harry spluttered. "I was happy to be getting out at all."

"Well, we're not going to be flying tonight, are we?" I asked, looking back and forth from Fred to George. "_Right_?"

"Of course," Fred said soothingly, but his eyes glittered mischievously. "So tell us – how has Hogwarts been? Must be absolutely _dreary_ without us."

"I second that – nobody can put on a fireworks display quite like us," George added.

"Oh yeah, that was awesome," I laughed. "Alas, nothing like that has happened since."

"Much to Filch's pleasure," Ginny muttered darkly.

"Ah yes, Filch. Has Peeves been giving him any trouble?" George asked.

"I haven't seen much of Peeves lately, to be honest," I shrugged. "The atmosphere, what's happening in the world just outside Hogwarts – it's sobering. So you're right in that sense, Hogwarts _has_ been dreary."

"Well, you can't have dark unless a light has been there first. We just have to find it again," Fred murmured.

We all got quiet for a couple seconds.

"So, where's Hermione? Shouldn't she be with you lot?" George questioned eventually.

"She usually would be, but she decided to spend Christmas with her family," I explained.

Fred nodded. "Is there a particular reason why she declined our invitation this year?"

I glanced at Ron quickly, who was pursing his lips sourly. "She's in quite a row with Ron over here."

The twins turned to Ron and two pairs of eyebrows rose.

"I wouldn't call it 'quite a row'," Ron muttered quickly. "She's just...not talking to me. And well...I haven't talked to her lately..." he began trailing off, waving his hand dismissively. "Girls – I don't get them."

One of my eyebrows rose as well, "Ron has gotten himself a _girlfriend_, though."

George chuckled, "And you didn't tell us? Merlin, we really are out of the loop. Who is the little witch, then? Should we give her some of our Clarity Candies? They fix your eyesight right up!" he joked good-naturedly.

Ron nudged him with his arm but said nothing.

"Her name is Lavender Brown," I answered for him.

Both Fred and George brought their hands to their chin in a thinking position. "That Gryffindor girl with a mess of blond hair?" Fred asked.

"The one with the annoyingly loud laugh and too much exuberance?" George asked as well.

"She's the one," I confirmed, knowing that they were spot on with their descriptions.

"Curious – I never thought she'd be your type," Fred snickered.

"_My type_?" Ron repeated incredulously. "And what would my type be, exactly?"

"Living," Ginny replied.

"Breathing," George added.

"Female," I included.

"Don't forget human," Harry finished, and we all burst with laughter.

Ron grew red, "Have your fun now...I don't see any of you with girlfriends. Or boyfriends," Ron added, throwing a glance at me.

I stopped chuckled slightly. I kind of...maybe..._did_ have a boyfriend.

And Harry had Ginny, though neither of them made the first move yet. I sent them a look, and they both averted their eyes.

"You remember Angelina, from Quidditch?" George asked. We all nodded. "Well, Fred has been talking to her...she came to visit the shop a couple days ago. They wouldn't stop running their mouths...I nearly had to slip him a Silence Snack."

"That all may be good and true, but I'm far more curious about _Christina's_ reaction. Have you got something to tell us?" Fred inquired.

I blanched. "Ah – well...um..." I began stuttering. I wasn't good under pressure – that was a known fact.

"Christina – you're seeing someone?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Not possible – she would've told us," Ron shook his head. "Right?"

I still couldn't answer him.

George blew out a breath. "Whew – you look like the cat that at the canary, Christina. How about you tell us about the young lad you're obviously seeing?"

I paled further. "Okay," I finally admitted. "I'm seeing someone – un-seriously."

"Unseriously? Christina, you can't just make up words as you go along, hoping to stop us from pursing the topic," George said.

I rolled my eyes through my nervousness. "I meant that it's not serious. That's why I haven't mentioned it."

"And does he have a name?" Harry asked.

"No," I replied in a quiet voice.

Ron paused, "No he doesn't have a name, or no I'm not going to tell you?"

"The second option," I bit my lip.

"Well, I don't know about you lot, but I'm _far_ too curious to let this go," Fred chuckled. "Can't you tell us Christina?"

"No," I mumbled petulantly as we finally reached the car. "End of this discussion. My love life is _my_ love life – that's it."

"But Christina, you can't blame us for being concerned after you dated that Hufflepuff-"

I interrupted Ron sharply, "That was a mistake, people tend to make those. But I won't go down _that_ road again."

But...was being with Draco a mistake? It could be - only the future would tell.

"Christina you can-"

"Oi! Ginny interrupted Ron. "Leave it alone, will you?"

Without another word being said, I pulled the car door open and hopped inside. Ginny, Harry, and Ron came in after me while Fred and George took the front seats – Fred was at the wheel.

"It's almost Christmas," Harry murmured absently.

"We'll probably be home a bit after midnight, so it'll be Christmas then," George responded.

Fred started the car and took off, slowly and carefully.

"It can't be _that_ long," Ron mumbled. "I'm tired."

He stated the feelings of us all.

Suddenly Fred and George gave each other a look. "Well..."

"_Don't_ even think about it," I cut in sharply. "I can _see_ you thinking about it!"

"Come on Christina," Fred sighed in exasperation. "Just close your eyes and it'll be over before you know it."

Before I could scream or protest, Fred jerked and pulled a couple levers and the car shot off. It jumped a few feet off the ground occasionally, and Fred pulled a final lever before we ascended straight into the air.

"MERLIN!" Was the only thing I stammered over and over, closing my eyes and gripping the handle above my head.

"Remember the invisibility," George muttered and pressed the large silver button.

Now no muggles would be able to see us.

My hands were shaking badly. How strange it was that I was able to ride a broomstick high up in the air and look out over the Astronomy Tower...but I couldn't handle a _flying car_.

I've also faced Death Eaters...and right now I would've chosen the Death Eaters.

"Is Christina doing okay?" I heard George ask, turning back to access me.

Ginny, Ron, and Harry looked me over as well, but I couldn't see them – my eyes were shut tightly.

"Fine," Harry responded.

"I am _not_ fine!" I shouted without opening my eyes. "Are we there yet?"

"We _just_ left Christina. But we'll be there soon, stop worrying," Fred said.

I wanted to snap with an angry retort, but I held my tongue. For the rest of the ride I tried to think of pleasant thoughts. My friends, Quidditch, pudding, butterbeer, Draco's face...

It must've worked, because we arrived at The Burrow shortly after.

I felt all the tension leave my body once the car landed clumsily next to The Burrow.

And I couldn't get out the door fast enough.

"I am so mad at you," I pointed towards Fred and George as I went to the trunk to retrieve my belongings.

"You are?" Fred asked, the corner of his lips turning up.

_Merlin, he's amused._

"How about I take your case for you then? I don't want you angry on Christmas," George offered, taking the trunk from my hands.

I let him, begrudgingly. "Fine," I muttered, "It's a start." My tone lost its firmness and was now playful.

Fred and George noticed the change and smiled sweetly.

The six of us took the path leading to The Burrow and paused by the door.

"Mum and dad might be sleeping, so let's be quiet-"

Fred's sentence was cut off by the door practically exploding open.

"Children!" Mrs. Weasley said happily, opening her arms in a welcoming gesture. "Finally you made it!"

"Hi mum," Ron greeted first. "What are you doing up?"

"Waiting for you to arrive, of course," she said simply. "Everyone else retired for the night."

Before I could question who 'everyone else' was, Mrs. Weasley continued.

"You all must be so tired," Her tone was sympathetic. "Thank you boys for picking them up." She turned to Fred and George.

"Not a problem...uh, can we come in now, mum?" George asked with a raised eyebrow.

Mrs. Weasley laughed breathlessly. "Of course, of course. Silly me..." she trailed off, clearing out the doorway. We all stumbled in and placed down our trunks.

In turn, Mrs. Weasley hugged us all. "So good to see you, so glad you came! Now, up to bed, all of you. Tomorrow is a big day."

Without another word, Ron and Ginny led Harry and I up to the second level of The Burrow.

"Christina, here's our room. Do you mind taking the spare bed?" Ginny asked.

I shook my head, "Nope."

"Harry, you'll be taking the spare bed in my room as well, you mind?" Ron asked, pausing in the hallway.

"Not at all," Harry replied.

"Fine then," Ron turned back to Ginny and I. "We'll see you tomorrow. And thanks again for coming, Christina."

"My pleasure," I smiled and glanced around momentarily, "Do you have the time?"

Ron ducked his head into the room I was staying in. "It's half past midnight."

I gathered my trunk and leaned against the doorframe. "Merry Christmas."

* * *

I woke up the next morning feeling well rested and faintly excited. Why?

I almost forgot – it was Christmas!

Still in my pajamas, I tugged off my blankets and shot out of bed. "Merry Christmas Ginny!"

Ginny immediately woke up and smiled lazily. "Merry Christmas."

I then jogged out the door and immediately began to knock loudly on Harry and Ron's door.

I had never been so excited on Christmas before – it was a refreshing change. I felt like I was a little kid again.

"Ron, Harry! It's Christmas!" I knocked persistently until the door opened.

Harry was in front of me, rubbing his eyes. Ron was still in bed. "We know, Christina," Harry mumbled.

I pushed past him to gain entrance to the room. "There's _presents_!" I nearly shouted. "Presents – for me too! For _us_!"

"Presents," Harry got a glimmer of excitement in his eyes too. His Christmases were similar to mine, in a way. "Remember Christmas before Hogwarts?" Harry asked, and I didn't know if the question was directed towards me or if he was quietly musing to himself.

"I don't want to," I answered anyway. "This is what _real_ Christmas is."

Harry nodded, but still seemed to be in thought.

I carefully stalked towards Ron, like a hunter accessing their prey. And then, like a centaur, I pounced.

Once I straddled Ron playfully I started to lightly tap his face and shout. "Ron! Ron! Ron!"

Ron groaned once and turned, trying to toss me off. "Ron if you don't wake up I'll send Lavender up here...she came this morning," I taunted.

_This_ made Ron wake up, and he jerked into a sitting position, nearly hitting his face against mine.

To prevent that I leaned back quickly, falling off of Ron and onto the lower portion of the bed.

"Is she here?" Ron asked in a disoriented state. "Is she really here?"

"No, mate," Harry assured, chuckling. "But if that's how you'd act if she was, then maybe you should reconsider your choice of girlfriend."

"He should reconsider it _anyway_," I pointed out before turning to Ron. "Get up, it's Christmas. We have presents."

Ron muttered a curse under his breath, "I forgot how mental you and Harry get about Christmas now...you're more annoying than that ghost chorale at Hogwarts. They sing that bloody Christmas carol over and over and-"

"Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, ring the Hogwarts' bell!" I sang loudly.

"Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, cast a Christmas spell," Harry joined in.

Ron groaned and fell back against the pillows, covering his ears.

"Please stop singing before we're forced to take drastic measures," Fred and George appeared at the doorway. "Come downstairs – _without_ singing."

"I reckon you're a bit jealous of our angelic voices," I teased. "We're coming."

Fred and George continued down the stairs and I turned to my two friends.

"Well?" I questioned. "What are you waiting for, a hippogriff to dance? Let's go!"

While Ron and Harry got ready, I hopped down the stairs. I froze once I reached the bottom.

"Lupin?" I gasped, seeing a familiar man sitting on the couch. "Lupin!"

Lupin looked up and smiled once he saw me. "Hello Christina."

I ran over and hugged him tightly once he stood up.

I was close to Lupin too – almost like Sirius.

He was always there for me during hard times – especially in third year, which was a very hard year for me.

Lupin was loyal and kind, but also had a parental firmness. For all intents and purposes, he was a great, _great_ man.

He's had his trials, with being a werewolf and all, but in the end, he still was strong and driven.

He inspired me.

"How are you? How's everything?" I looked at him, the questions fumbling out of my mouth.

"Me? I'm well, thank you. I'm a bit more concerned about you..." His face turned concerned, his eyes worried. "How are you with everything?"

I shrugged, trying hard not to think about my situation. I didn't want to ruin Christmas. "As well I can be, I guess. With everything going on with You-Know-Who..." Lupin always hated when one of us said his name. He would flinch and instruct us sharply to not say it.

But I agreed with what Hermione once said - _Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself._

"And with my parents...you know," I continued, biting my lip.

"Yes I do, Sirius has alerted me. And I've heard things," Lupin responded.

If I was a dog, my ears would have perked up. "Sirius? You've been in touch with him?"

"You could say so," Another voice replied from behind me.

I turned swiftly, and my mouth dropped open as a few jumbled syllables escaped.

"Sirius?"

I almost couldn't believe my eyes. My feet were running before I even told them to, and seconds later I was in his arms.

"Sirius, I can't believe you're here! My letters! I owled you and you never got back and-"

"I'm sorry," Sirius interrupted me softly. "I've been caught up in things, but I should've responded to your letter."

"Are you okay?" My tone was worried and accusatory all at once. "You haven't gotten yourself into trouble, have you?"

Sirius smiled an almost wistful smile. "Sounds like me...but no. Nothing _I've_ done. But I'm always living looking over my shoulder. Being a wanted criminal and all."

I sighed. "Did you get here safely?"

"Yes, I wasn't spotted. If I was I wouldn't be here – I don't want to lead trouble to The Burrow. The Weasleys were kind enough to offer an invitation for Christmas," Sirius explained,

"No one should spend Christmas alone," I whispered.

"I agree," Sirius said, pulling me to him again. "How are you?"

"Confused. Scared. Nervous." The truth was out of my mouth before I realized what I was saying. I found that I could never lie to Sirius – I couldn't even hide anything from him.

"I know, Christina," Sirius voice was soothing in my ear. "We need to talk – later."

I nodded against his chest and pulled away. "Yes, we do."

At that point Harry, Ginny, and Ron were downstairs, their faces mirroring the same surprise I had only minutes ago.

"There's my godson!" Sirius exclaimed. "And Ron and Ginny – how are you?"

While Harry, Ginny, and Ron caught up with Sirius and Lupin, I wandered around the living area.

There was a small Christmas tree set up in the corner of the room – much smaller than the ones at Hogwarts. Underneath was an array of presents – not too many, but enough to cover the ground.

And that reminded me.

I jogged up the stairs and went to my trunk. After opening it and pulling away some clothes, I gathered all my gifts in my arms.

I left one gift in the trunk, however. The gift from Draco. I would have to open that after.

I went back downstairs and dumped my pile of presents gently underneath the tree.

"Excited, are we?" I heard Fred's amused voice from beside me, and saw the twins to my right.

"Very, in fact," I replied, cocking my head to the side. "You're not?"

"We are," Fred and George answered in unison.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came into the room, and Mr. Weasley immediately greeted his new guests.

"Hello Christina – how are you?" And there it was again; asking the question without really _asking_ it.

"Okay," I murmured shakily, but didn't expand on the answer. "How are you, Mr. Weasley?"

"Very well, very well indeed. Merry Christmas," he replied with a smile.

"That it is," I smiled back.

"So – breakfast or presents first?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking all of us over.

By the looks of excitement on my face, as well as Harry's, I think she had her answer.

"Very well then – everyone gather around!"

Like we were little children again, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, and I sat on the floor by the tree. I couldn't wipe the excited grin off my face.

The rest of the company in the room either stood or took the couch.

"Merry Christmas all," Mrs. Weasley began. "And I hope you enjoy your gifts."

And then we went at it.

I wish I could've been one of those people who slowly and carefully unwrapped each gift and drew the whole process out – you know, savor the experience.

But I just _wasn't_.

Impatience was always a prominent trait of mine, one which I could fight sometimes, but other times I let it take a hold of me.

And this was one of the times I let it take hold.

Within ten minutes I was sitting with a hefty pile of presents on my lap, and was surrounded by torn wrapping and tissue paper.

All in all, I had gotten eleven gifts. Many more than I wanted, needed, or deserved. Nonetheless I thanked everyone profusely. This was a very merry Christmas indeed.

I got a new set of parchment and quills from Hermione – which was coincidental because I got her close to the same thing. But it was lucky, because I was in desperate need of parchment and quills. With all the letters I sent and work I did, I ran out easily.

I got a broom cleaning set from Harry, which I nearly hugged him to death for. My broom was my pride and joy, and I felt horrible that I never had the money to give her a proper cleaning. Well now I do!

I got a box of my favorite candies from Honeydukes from Ron. _Ah – how well he knows me._

I got a couple miscellaneous items from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes from Fred and George. That was good too, because I was running out of what they gave me before.

I got a ring from Ginny – an engraved Quidditch ring. It had my position, number, and year on it. I loved it with every fiber of my being and put it on immediately.

I got a carved wooden flute from Hagrid – even though I couldn't play. I would have to learn.

I got radish earrings from Luna. Expected – from Luna – but they were quite cute. I would have to give them a try sometime – maybe.

I got a hair clip from Neville. It was silver and shimmery and absolutely beautiful. I rarely ever put my hair up – aside from in Quidditch – but I definitely would wear this.

I got a knitted sweater from the Weasleys, as expected. It was black, but a large golden C decorated the front. I looked up to my friends. I also expected the rest of them got sweaters as well.

I got a new book on magical creatures, which I loved to learn about, from Lupin – surprisingly. I immediately felt bad about not getting him something, but he dismissed my concern.

I got a small, thin charm bracelet from Sirius. There were already a couple charms on there too. One was of a lion, I was guessing for Gryffindor. One was of a large dog; I was guessing because it was Sirius' animagus. One was four interlocking circles, maybe for Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I's strong friendship? I would have to ask. And finally a fox, it looked like, after my patronus. It was incredible, and without waiting I put it on.

And that was it...almost. Everyone was still unwrapping presents when I excused myself for a moment. I hurried upstairs and into my room, closing the door behind me. Reaching into my trunk, I pulled out Draco's finely wrapped gift. I shook it, but heard no noise.

Without wasting any more time, I undid the wrappings. The first thing that caught my attention was a note. I placed the box down onto my bed and held the small letter in my hands.

_Christina,_

_I know you're not awfully fond of Christmas, and I understand why. But I do hope that this Christmas is a good one simply because you deserve it. There were many things that I wish I could've gotten you, could've done for you, but many of those were not possible. You know, sometimes I wonder how we've gotten to where we are today. A lot has changed. I've changed, and you have too, Christina. But I reckon not all change is bad. I'm sitting up in my dormitory writing this bloody letter – that's a change. One I never expected. There are many things I'd like to say to you, but I don't know if all of them would be welcome or accepted. Maybe in time...however long that is. I've always prided myself on the fact that I can keep my emotions out of my mind, out of my decision making...but then you came along. And in the beginning you evoked emotions – not necessarily good ones, but with you I couldn't hide, you always saw through me. It scared me, honestly. And now, you still have that gift, and my feelings and emotions have changed. I think you know that. I think you see it. And that scares me even more. We are like night and day. I am the dark, only capable of cold, bringing shadow and shame. And you are the light, a pure brightness that shines through after times of obscurity. I shouldn't want you, but Merlin do I want you. You told me once that I had a heart. After everything, you still believed I had a heart. And you were waiting until the day I lost that to Voldemort. If I had a heart, I know who it would belong to. And so do you. If I know you – which I can firmly say that I do – I know you are probably crying onto this bloody piece of parchment. And my answer would be the same as always. Please stop crying – I don't know how to handle you like this. Lucky I'm not there – or perhaps unlucky. Merry Christmas, Christina Miro. Forget about everything for a while and just have a Merry Christmas. Easier said than done, I know, but try. I'm going to bed now, and I will dream only of you._

_Draco_

_PS: I had many other signature options available - World's Best Quidditch Seeker, The Cleverest Boy You Know, or even perhaps Your Boyfriend?_

By the end of the letter I was nearly bawling. Tears of happiness and sadness.

_If that isn't a declaration of love than what is?_

There were too many mixed emotions in my head to decipher at the moment, so I didn't even try. I placed the letter gently down on the bed, like it would break if I handled it too roughly, and with shaky hands lifted the gift box.

Pulling apart the tissue paper, I laid eyes on my gift.

It was necklace, a simple one, but the pendant...

It had an ethereal glow. A golden light covered the middle of the hollowed out copper toned circle. If you put your finger through it, it would go right through. It was just a sheen of light. The surrounding circle had an inscription, though, and I squinted my eyes to see.

It said: _My light_.

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter! Finally, right? Hope you enjoyed - and sorry no Draco in this. Although I hoped I made up for that with the letter :DDD Thanks again for all the kind reviews, they make me so so sooooo happy! R&R! :D**


	41. Burning Burrow

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. *muffled cries in the background* Some lines are taken from Half Blood Prince. **

* * *

I looked down at the letter in my hands, rereading it over and over.

Where was _this_ Draco when we were together? Part of me knew that Draco would never be able to say things like this face to face, but part of me still wanted to hope.

But all that mattered now was that he _actually_ said it, letter or not. And for now that was enough.

I didn't need extravagant gestures or grand declarations of love. I just needed him. I just needed to know that what we were doing wasn't in vain.

Briefly, I wondered what Draco thought of my gift to him.

Some voices came from downstairs, and I remembered that I left everyone to come up here. I slipped the necklace around my neck and changed into some casual clothes – dark jeans and a maroon wool sweater. I exited my room and hopped down the steps in time to see Ron opening his gift from Lavender.

He unwrapped the package and opened the small box. Inside was...a necklace.

"She got you a necklace?" George sneered, laughing along with Fred. "A necklace?"

Ron flushed the color of a phoenix and stared at the blasted necklace with open disgust.

"Look – it says something!" Ginny pointed out, trying to grab for the necklace.

"No, no it doesn't!" Ron protested, growing more embarrassed by the minute.

"Yeah it does, mate! Let's have a look!" Harry finally managed to grab it from Ron's grip.

"It says _sweetheart_!" I shrieked, joining the group again. "Oh Ron, you're a sweetheart!"

Ron crouched down like he wanted the ground to swallow him up. "I don't know how she thinks I would like that bloody thing..." he mumbled under his breath.

"Nonsense!" Mrs. Weasley cut in. "I think it's very thoughtful."

"So thoughtful," Fred repeated mockingly.

"Incredibly thoughtful," George laughed.

"Stupid bloody necklace..." Ron continued to mutter vehemently.

"Speaking of necklaces," Ginny began, curiously, "Christina has on a new one. Who gave you _that_?"

All heads turned to me, and I began to splutter. "Well...uh...er..."

"Must've been her boyfriend – she didn't open it down here," Fred observed.

Behind me I heard a chorus of voices, "_Boyfriend_!"

Merlin, this was not happening.

Even though my own parents didn't give a damn about me, that wasn't the case with the other adults in my life.

They were very protective, like a parent in some ways, especially Sirius.

It was Sirius who spoke next too, "Boyfriend?" he repeated. "This is the first time I'm hearing about this. It's true?"

Suddenly I felt a huge amount of empathy with Ron. I hated the spotlight.

"Well, yes," I admitted quietly. "It's rather new and not really public...so..." I honestly didn't know what else to say.

Sirius raised a single eyebrow, and I knew that look meant we'd talk about this later.

I wasn't looking forward to it – I hated lying. And I hated lying to Sirius even more. I wasn't even sure if I would be able to do it.

Luckily the attention was taken off me as Ginny opened up a rather nice gift she got from Ron. Everyone turned to admire it, and I slunk back into the corner of the room, secretly wishing for the invisibility cloak so I'd be able to use it if they mentioned the word 'boyfriend' again.

Finally present time was over, and all the gifts were open and the floor was covered with wrapping paper.

Not for long, though.

With a flick of Mrs. Weasley's wand, the floor was cleared and all the gifts were stacked neatly in one corner of the room. She then instructed everyone to get comfortable, and she disappeared into the kitchen to start preparing some breakfast. Well – it would be a late lunch now.

As Ron went upstairs to put the necklace away, or perhaps blow it up, Fred, George, and Ginny followed, still teasing him, which left Harry, Sirius, Mr. Weasley, Lupin, and I in the room. We all took a seat on the couches.

"A good Christmas – yes?" Lupin asked, breaking the silence.

"One of the best," I answered honestly.

Back to silence.

I felt Harry lean in towards my ear, "I think we should tell them," he whispered.

"Tell them what?" I whispered back.

"About Malfoy being a Death Eater. About what we saw with Snape."

I immediately tensed and took a sharp intake of breath. "Why?"

"It's important information," he explained quietly. "And if I can't publicly accuse him of hurting Katie or being a Death Eater, I would at least like to have someone else's opinions on it."

I shook my head slightly, "Harry I don't think it's a-"

"What are you two talking about over there?" Sirius asked, looking at Harry and I curiously.

Before I could jump in with an excuse and prevent Harry from talking, he already began. "There's something I think you should know."

All of their faces grew intrigued and suspicious.

"What is it, Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked.

And with my head in my hands, I listened as Harry recounted the past events, ending with what he heard the night of Slughorn's party with Draco and Snape.

All three men were quiet after Harry finished.

"Voldemort has chosen _Draco Malfoy _for a mission?" Lupin eventually spoke.

I flinched unexpectedly at his use of Voldemort's name. He usually never said it.

"I know it sounds-"

Lupin cut Harry off, "Has it occurred to you Harry that Snape is simply pretending to offer Draco help so that he could find out what he was up to?"

I inwardly thanked Merlin that Lupin was able to think things with rationality, rather than jump to conclusions and accusations like Harry.

"That's not what it sounded like," Harry was adamant. "Christina, you were there, tell him." Harry turned to me expectantly, and I instinctively bowed my head.

"Harry, we can't be sure..." I mumbled pathetically, and the look Harry gave me almost broke my heart. He looked betrayed.

"Perhaps Harry is right," Sirius input, staring at his godson with concern and affection. "I mean, to make an Unbreakable Vow-"

"It comes down to whether or not you trust Dumbledore's judgment. Dumbledore trusts Snape therefore I do," Lupin said simply.

"Dumbledore can make mistakes," Harry replied. "He said so himself."

"You're blinded by hatred!" Lupin pointed a finger towards Harry.

"I'm not-" Harry tried to talk, but Lupin continued.

"Yes you are," Lupin spoke, and there was a long pause of silence.

I was rather quiet throughout the whole scene.

It went as I thought it would go.

Harry would try to again portray Malfoy as Death Eater, with Snape helping him.

I knew Lupin would be neutral, and would not take these accusations as hard cold fact. Lupin always had a knack for remaining impartial in times where it would be hard to.

Sirius, on the other hand, would definitely agree with Harry. I knew about the bad blood between Sirius and Snape – I witnessed it myself – and Sirius also was incredibly close and trusting of Harry. Sirius would definitely believe him.

And like me, Mr. Weasley remained silent, carefully listening and processing the information in his own mind.

"People are disappearing Harry – daily," Lupin began eventually. "We can only place our trust in a handful of people. If we start fighting amongst ourselves we're _doomed_."

There was more silence, and everyone looked at each other. It was tense.

Finally Lupin and Sirius got up, presumably to go and have a private conversation.

That left Harry, Mr. Weasley, and I alone on the couches.

Not for long, however, as Ginny walked into the room, seemingly unaware of the tense atmosphere. She was carrying a small tray, and I moved over on the couch to make room for her.

She sat next to Harry, and they began a long, intimate eye contact.

I think this was my cue to leave. Mr. Weasley too.

We gave each other a look and got up at the same time.

"I'm just gonna...ah..." I began, but Harry and Ginny didn't look up. "You don't care, do you?" I murmured with a smirk, and left the room in a hurry.

As I left I rammed into another solid body. I looked up to see...Sirius.

"How about we talk now?" he asked with an amused smile.

I nodded, "Sure, let's go to my room."

We ascended the stairs until we reached the room I was staying in. I quickly cleared my bed and hopped on while Sirius pulled up the desk chair.

"So – you never responded to my letter," I began.

"I know," Sirius nodded. "In fact..." He reached into his shirt pocket and lifted out a piece of parchment. It had to be my letter. "Give me a moment."

I watched as his eyes scanned the letter, reading each line carefully. He then lowered it down with a sigh.

"Well to begin, the Death Eaters are getting a little too close for comfort on my location. I couldn't risk sending out an owl, in case it got intercepted. And I know we use code words, but I didn't want to take that risk," Sirius explained.

"How were you able to travel here, then?" I asked curiously.

"Good question," Sirius muttered dryly. "I saw an opportunity and I took it. I wanted to come see everyone. Christmas just isn't Christmas when you're alone. I feel a bit bad for Buckbeak, though. But bringing him along would've just caused unwanted attention."

I bit my lip. _Poor Buckbeak._

Sirius continued, glancing down at my letter momentarily. "You're right, Christina. I did offer Harry the chance to live with me. And he took it. I hate the fact that he's with those muggles. I really do. But right now, I'm living in constant danger. I'm always looking over my shoulder, and that's no way for Harry to live. Maybe when things settle down...I really hope," Sirius looked sullen, and I now regretted mentioning this topic at all.

"Harry understands, you know," I said quietly. "He hates being with the Dursleys, but he understands."

Sirius nodded but said no more on the topic. He instead looked back at my letter. "I miss Hogwarts. And yes, I'm aware of Dumbledore's actions regarding the safety of the school. Lupin told me about the Auror protection. I think that's good..." Something in his tone was off, though.

"But it's not enough," I finished the thought for him.

Sirius looked uncertain. "It never is, with _him_."

I looked down at my folded hands. "Sirius," I whispered. "Was it like this...the first time?" I questioned, and I could see Sirius studying me from the corner of my eye. "When Voldemort first came to power. Were people being killed and disappearing? Were the streets deserted and homes and shops abandoned? Was it this gloomy, sad, and evil feeling? I know what's coming; I feel it like a weight in my chest every day. Was this what it was like?"

Sirius was quiet for a few moments, and I began to wonder if he would answer my questions at all.

"Christina..." Sirius finally made a sound. "It was exactly like this. And it's worse now, because we know what he's capable of, and we know what's coming. People were missing, bodies were being found everywhere. Muggles and muggleborns were slaughtered. It was a dark time, very dark."

"Were you...scared?" I dared to ask.

"Of course I was – you would've been a fool not to have been," Sirius answered with no reservations. "Fear is not a weakness, Christina. It makes us human. The absence of fear, however, is foolish. Voldemort was powerful – incredibly so. There wasn't a witch or wizard alive who didn't fear even speaking his name. Some gave into him. And others fought back. James and Lily-" Sirius made a noise from the back of his throat, and I knew this was very hard to talk about for him. Instead he asked, "Are you afraid, Christina?"

"I should be – and don't get me wrong, I am...but...I feel more resigned. I know what's coming, and I'm ready for it. Be it life or be it death. I think a scared anticipation is what I'm feeling," I replied honestly.

Sirius reached out a put a firm hand on my shoulder. "You are strong, Christina. I see many of the same strengths in you that I see in myself. We are so very alike, you and I. That's one of the reasons we've bonded so well. I understand how you feel. I do. I was in your shoes once. What's coming won't be easy. But no matter what happens, I'll be there alongside of you."

* * *

Even during dinner I was thinking about the conversation Sirus and I had. If it was like this now, I could only imagine how everyone felt about it the first time around.

Either way, it was awful.

I was glad, however, that he didn't mention the boyfriend thing. It must've slipped his mind. At least I got away with that.

After I finished my last bite of Mrs. Weasley's wonderful dinner, I excused myself and retreated to my room. My trunk was still on the bed, and all it had in it was a couple spare changes of clothes and my wallet with all my money. I packed light.

On the top, however, was Draco's letter to me. I smiled and reread it before placing it in my jean pocket, next to my wand. Leaning back onto the bed, I closed my eyes and decided to take a little nap.

* * *

Back downstairs, Harry and Mr. Weasley were talking.

"You'll have to forgive Remus. It takes its toll – his condition," Mr. Weasley explained.

"And are you alright, Mr. Weasley?" Harry asked.

There was a slight pause. "We're being followed. All of us. Most days Molly doesn't leave the house. It's not been easy," Mr. Weasley finally replied.

"Did you get my owl?" Harry questioned.

Mr. Weasley took a seat, "Ah – yes I did. If Dumbledore is traveling then it's news to the Ministry – but perhaps that's the way Dumbledore wants it," There was another pause. "As for Draco Malfoy...I know a bit more."

Harry immediately straightened. "Go on."

"I sent an agent to Borgin and Burkes...I think – from what you described, what you saw at the end of the summer...the object that Draco is so interested in is a vanishing cabinet."

"A vanishing cabinet?" Harry repeated.

"They were all the rage when Voldemort first rose to power. You could see the appeal. Should the Death Eaters come knocking...one simply had to slip inside and disappear for an hour or two. It could transport you practically anywhere. Tricky contraptions, though. Very temperamental."

"What happened to it?" Harry asked. "The one at Borgin and Burkes?"

"Nothing," Mr. Weasley replied. "It's still there."

* * *

I woke up from my nap and found that the sky was now dark.

_Merlin, how long was I out?_

Downstairs I could hear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talking to Sirius and Lupin at the front door. It sounded like Lupin was getting ready to leave.

I heard Sirius say something like "The last night of his cycle is always the worst."

They all got quiet suddenly, and I could hear them softly calling Lupin's name. They sounded worried. I got up from the bed and walked over to the window. From my vantage point, I could see half of Lupin in the doorway, and he looked to be peering out into the faraway sky.

Out in the hallway Harry sat on the stairs, and Ginny walked up moments later.

"Has Ron gone to bed?" she asked softly.

Harry stood up quickly, "Uh no – not yet."

Ginny looked Harry in the eye, and then her eyes were downcast. "Shoelace," she murmured. Ginny knelt down and gently pulled on the laces of Harry's shoe. She tied it slowly and carefully. When she stood up again, they were both gazing at each other strongly. "Merry Christmas, Harry."

"Merry Christmas," Harry whispered, and they began to get closer...and closer...

A bright light flared from outside the Burrow, and they broke apart quickly.

From inside my room, I placed both of my hands on the window in shock, staring at the odd fiery ball of light.

It hit the ground and spread like a fire, circling the whole Burrow in the span of five seconds.

A dark shadow swished passed my window and I jumped back in surprise. I immediately took out my wand.

Bellatrix landed in front of the Burrow, laughing manically. She gazed at the patrons by the door and threw over a sneer.

I nearly tripped over myself running out of my room to get outside. I saw Harry running up ahead, and Ginny was left on the stairs, glaring out the window.

Bellatrix retreated hastily into the overgrown grass and weed that surrounded the Burrow.

Before anyone could stop him, Harry pushed passed everyone and chased after her.

"Harry no!" Mr. Weasley shouted, but it fell on deaf ears. Lupin tried to run after Harry, but once Harry cleared the fire barrier it grew, keeping Lupin away.

Lupin and Sirius began to battle the flames.

I stumbled out the doorway and pushed passed the Weasleys, Ginny was on my tail.

"Ginny! Christina!" Mrs. Weasley shouted hoarsely, but we didn't stop.

I ran up to Lupin and Sirius.

"Christina, Ginny – get back!" Sirius instructed loudly, using advanced wand work to keep the fire from spreading any farther. He must've seen me start moving again, because he reached out to try and grab my arm. "Christina don't you _dare_!"

I pulled myself away from him and with a mighty leap I cleared the fire, only feeling a slight burn on my right arm. Ginny was behind me, but we soon lost each other in the maze of tall grass.

I kept running, looking for Harry, looking for Ginny, looking for Bellatrix.

I ran until my feet gave way and I tripped on the grass, stumbling forward. Trying to ease some of the blow, I landed on my shoulder and rolled a couple times.

By now my clothes were soggy and wet, and I was covered with dirt and grass stains. But I couldn't stop.

I could hear someone breathing heavily a little ways away, and I heaved myself and headed for the sound. But even with all my running I could never get close enough.

Bellatrix's voice rang clear in the distance. She was throwing out jeers and taunts, and I knew that wherever Harry was he would not stop until he got her.

I debated on whether or not to call out Harry and Ginny's names, but decided against it. I didn't want to draw attention to myself.

As I landed in a fairly large puddle I stopped again. I was utterly alone – or so I felt.

The sound of my heavy breathing filled my ears, and I was deaf to everything else.

Up ahead I saw a patch of red hair, even in the darkness. I took off towards it, and seconds later Ginny and I collided.

"Are you okay?" I asked frantically, mentally checking her for injuries. Besides a couple cuts, she looked fine.

"Are you?" she questioned back, taking a hold of my forearms. "Your arm – the fire scorched through your sweater," Ginny whispered.

I went to respond that it wasn't a big deal, but then we heard some noises to our right. We stood side by side, holding up our wands.

A body came into view. It was...Greyback.

"It's Greyback!" I said to Ginny, who nodded.

Before we could make any moves, Harry came through the grass to our left and leaped in front of us.

"_Stupefy!_" he shouted.

Greyback deflected the spell easily. In a swirl of black mist he disappeared again, leaving the three of us back to back, looking in all directions for the next threat.

We heard shouting in the distance – our names being called.

But we couldn't dwell on that for much longer because suddenly Greyback reappeared and started to throw nonverbal spells at us.

Harry immediately took actions, striking back with nonverbal magic as well.

I didn't know how he got so good with nonverbal spells so fast because I still had trouble with them. I didn't rely on that in battle – I didn't trust it yet.

"_Stupefy!_" I yelled, and Ginny repeated the same spell.

Our names were being called again, and seconds later Lupin and Sirius were with us in the clearing.

There was no time for greetings or lectures – spells were coming at us rapidly from all angles, and we had to work to be both offensive and defensive.

I got hit with a nasty curse that scratched a gash in my stomach, but I didn't falter. I couldn't. I could see from the corner of my eye Harry get hit with the same curse seconds later.

"_Stupefy!_" I called again. but to no avail.

Lupin and Sirius were expert duelers, and they were making more progress than we were. Though Harry, Ginny, and I were very good with spells, experience definitely wins out in this area.

Lupin and Sirius were rapidly calling out spells, and I made the mistake to look on in awe at them, and I was rewarded with another curse on my side.

"Merlin! _Stupefy!_" I yelled over and over again.

And suddenly – it stopped.

They were no more spells, and we saw two black mists dart into the air. They didn't go far, however, as seconds later they were back by the Burrow.

And then the Burrow just...exploded.

All the windows burst out with loud crashes, and the whole entire house was engulfed in flame.

We all stood there horrified. Lupin was the first one to come to his senses and rush back there, and we all followed him.

Everyone was out of the house and seemingly uninjured, which was the only good thing.

Mrs. Weasley was staring up at her home with wide eyed shock, and Mr. Weasley had to pull her away from the rising and expanding flame.

The heartbroken look on her face was enough for tears to gather in my eyes, but I blinked back determinedly.

That was until the realization dawned on me.

The Burrow was destroyed. My second home, which I loved, was burning in front of my eyes.

And my trunk was in the house.

My entire life savings was gone.

I couldn't take anymore, I felt my knees give out and the last thing I remember was hearing Sirius shout my name over the roaring flames.

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter - done! No Draco, I know, but I desperately needed this chapter for plot reasons, and to move the story along. Don't worry, Draco is in the next chapter (: Thanks again to all who reviewed, I'm doing a shoutout next chapter! You all are seriously the best! And if you're wondering, I followed the movie version for this chapter. Death eaters are evil, and why wouldn't they destroy the home of muggleborn lovers, with Sirius Black, Harry Potter and Christina in it? If only for fun, it's something they would do. Also, even though Sirius is alive Harry still dislikes Bellatrix. She's a death eater, why wouldn't he? Ooh and I'm curious - if you went to Hogwarts, what house would you be in? I got sorted on Pottermore, and I'll let you know my House in the next update! It may surprise you...anyway, R&R! :D**


	42. Aftermath

**Disclaimer: Not feeling too witty today, so simply: I don't own Harry Potter.**

* * *

_"Christina! Christina wake up!"_

I could hear a distant voice, and I tried reaching out for ot, but my whole body felt paralyzed. After a few more futile attempts, I managed to get one eye open.

All the lights above bothered me, and I had no idea where I was.

I said the first thing that came to my mind, "Burrow-w?" The word rasped out of my dry throat.

Whoever was above me sighed. "Destroyed. Burned."

My body went limp as I opened my other eye. I saw Sirius, looking none too happy.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked, sitting myself up. There was a bit of stiffness but no major pain. "You healed me?"

This seemed to be the wrong thing to say, as Sirius' eyes flashed. "If you listened to what I told you, I wouldn't have had to heal you."

"I couldn't just let Harry go off by himself!" I defended.

"Yeah, well he shouldn't have gone off by himself in the first place. It was a foolish thing to do. Did you ever think that maybe that's what they _wanted_ him to do? Get him out in the open? I know my cousin – unfortunately. She would've got Harry if the rest of us didn't come. And you shouldn't have been there – you were hurt," Sirius explained sharply.

I bit my lip. "Do you not trust in my abilities?"

Sirius sighed explosively. "Of course I trust your skills! It's _theirs_ I don't trust! They're trained in the Dark Arts, and are not known to duel fairly. Three Hogwarts students have no chance against them, even if numbers are on your side."

"Then maybe you should be telling Harry this," I mumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. I was not in the mood to get lectured, especially with the fact that I lost all my life savings in the fire.

"I did, and now I'm telling you," Sirius' tone softened slightly, and I felt his hand gently hover over one of my own. "You're not invincible, Christina. You're not expected to act like a hero. You're not obligated to go into every battle. Some battles you can't win, and it's best to sit it out. For now. And yes, there are some fights you ought to be in. It's choosing your battles correctly that leads to winning a war."

I let his words sink in. "I understand," I said after a few moments, not knowing what else to say.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "Do you understand? Or are you just saying that to shut me up?"

I cracked a small smile for the first time. "No, I really understand."

Sirius reached out and pulled me into a tight hug that I wasn't expecting.

"If they hurt you worse than what they managed I would've killed them. I already lost it at what they did to you, Harry, and Ginny," he began, and I could feel the raw emotion in his voice. "Can I tell you something?" he asked seconds later, and my eyebrows went up in surprise, even though he couldn't see them.

"Yes – sure," I mumbled into his chest.

Sirius nodded, "When I was your age, I was a real marauder. We all were, James, Remus, and Peter," Sirius managed to spit the last name out, and I rubbed his back in support.

We rarely ever mentioned that traitor's name.

Sirius continued, "All I cared about was pranks and having fun. Yes, I did well in school, but it wasn't my main focus. And then there were the girls..." he trailed off, chuckling. "Self-proclaimed forever bachelor right here, and it seemed like I had a different girl every week," Sirius' face then turned serious. "I never wanted kids. Ever. Thought they'd be too much work, too restricting. And I always like my freedom, my independence. I never wanted to get married, either. Tied down." Sirius paused, and I knew that whatever he was thinking would be difficult to say.

"Sirius, you don't have to-"

"No, no I do," Sirius interrupted me, and seemed to be mentally beating himself up for acting so weak. He started again, "And then Lily and James got together – as if that wasn't expected. I was happy for them, you know? I would never wish that kind of life upon myself but hey, to each his own? I thought that now that James had a family to focus on, he wouldn't be interested in the mischief us marauders stood for. I was partly right."

"You'll always be a marauder. Each one of you," I input, trying to quell his uneasy mind.

Sirius smiled wistfully, "That's exactly what James told me."

I quieted again and waited for Sirius to continue.

"And then they had Harry," Sirius blew a breath out. "They made me his godfather."

The pride in his voice almost reduced me to tears.

"Everything changed. When I saw him for the first time, that miracle...I was a changed man. Things came into focus for me. I didn't know if I wanted that for myself, but I was honored to have that in my life with others. My priorities got sorted out," Sirius explained.

What happened next I knew, and it would be difficult to hear.

Probably even more difficult for him to say.

"And then James...and Lily...and...I..." Sirius broke off suddenly and took in a breath, like he had just come up from underwater. "I went to Azkaban. Twelve years. I waited. But I never once forgot James. Or Lily. Or Remus. On the full moons I would look out the small crack in the wall they called a window, and I would think of Remus. That's why we became animagi, you know. To support Remus. And it's something I always wanted to do. I thought of Harry too, my godson...who would be taking care of him. There wasn't much else to do but think in there. It could drive you insane. I think I may have let it for a while."

"But you're here now, you're alright," I reassured him.

"Perhaps," Sirius replied rather noncommittally. "And once I escaped I had to find Peter. I needed to. And Harry. To see him," He got a sudden twinkle in his eye. "And that's where I met you."

"If I remember correctly, I wasn't too fond of you at first," I smirked. "Well, not at least until I got my facts straight."

"If I actually _had_ committed the offenses I was presumed guilty of I wouldn't be too fond of me either," Sirius admitted. "But I remember you all quite clearly. There was Harry, and Merlin did he look like James. But he had-"

"His mother's eyes," I finished for him. "Everyone says it."

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "They do?"

"All the time...I don't think he ever gets tired of hearing it though," I responded.

"He's like them tremendously. They were both great wizards, but even more, great people," Sirius smiled fondly. "And so is Harry."

"I know," I agreed wholeheartedly.

"And then there was Ron. Oh, I knew he was a Weasley. Red hair - such an indicator. I never really did mean to bite him that night. I was going for the rat," Sirius said sheepishly. "I couldn't get to him without bringing Ron, so I did what I had to do."

"He's forgiven you," I assured. "He waited until the bite healed to do so though."

Sirius laughed heartily. "Of course, of course. Oh - and then there was Hermione. Brightest witch of her age, I'm calling it. She has a sharp tongue and quick wit. A better witch than some of the people I know."

"That she is," I agreed. "I mean, did you see what she got on her OWLS? She put us all to shame."

"I'm sure you did just as well," Sirius assured me, patting my shoulder.

"I did alright - better than I expected to do, actually. But in the end, Hermione beat us all," I said.

"There was a competition between you?"

I chuckled, "No, no. Not literally. But I'm sure in our own minds we all wanted to do the best. Hermione got the title, though. At least I tried."

"And that brings me to my final point...you," Sirius began. "I remember you that day too. You were very stubborn - and a bit reckless too. Do you remember you tried to punch me in the face?"

I tipped my head down and bit the inside of my cheek. "I remember. I would've got you too if Harry hadn't tackled me to get me back."

Sirius rubbed his jawline unconsciously. "You got me on my chin. You have one mean swing."

"Practice makes perfect," I smirked.

Sirius seemed intrigued. "Why would you have practice in physical combat in third year?"

I shrugged. "In second year, when all the Chamber of Secrets stuff was happening, I remember going to visit Dumbledore with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. And he said something that stuck out to me. It was along the lines of 'be ready for anything'. I don't think he meant it about physical fighting, but I took it that way. I just remember thinking that magic and spells won't always be there for you. Maybe in battle you break your wand? Or someone disarms you? You would have to rely on other sources to defend yourself. And that's why I thought physical combat was important. So I would practice on fake dummies I conjured."

Sirius studied me for a few moments. "Christina, you're very smart, you know that?"

I titled my head to the side. "I have my moments."

"That's very smart thinking, very resourceful."

"I mentioned it to Harry, Ron, and Hermione last year, when we formed Dumbledore's Army. So sometimes we'd practice with physical combat techniques along with our wand magic. You have to be prepared for anything," I explained.

"I see so much of me in you, Christina," Sirius said eventually. "It's rather peculiar, I see none of your parents in you. Nothing. Except for looks. You have your mother's dark hair and pale skin. And you have your father's facial features. Especially his eyes."

"What a blessing," I muttered sarcastically under my breath.

"But you're nothing like them. You're strong and brave where they are weak and cowardly. You're stubborn and rebellious where they are compliant and orderly. You're a conundrum. It's fascinating - _you're_ fascinating," Sirius smiled fondly. "We are so alike, and sometimes that makes me worry. I know how you'll act in situations, how you'll react. It's the same way I would. That's why I knew you'd disregard my directions last night - because it was what _I_ would do. But I need to urge you, and take it from someone who's been there and done that, it's okay to be cautious. You don't always have to act like the rebellious hero. Just be Christina. Do you understand?"

I sighed and rubbed my face tiredly. "I understand Sirius."

"Good," Sirius slumped his shoulders, like all the tension had left his body.

"Is everyone okay?" I questioned after a few moments.

I could see Sirius contemplating how to answer. "They're...coping," he finally replied. "Physically, everyone is fine. Mentally it took a toll. But Mr. Weasley is already planning to rebuild. Hopefully it won't take too long."

"Why...why would they attack the Burrow?" I questioned.

"Why wouldn't they?" Sirius replied honestly. "Harry was there. You were there. They probably knew I was there. The Weasleys are considered blood traitors. To a Death Eater it was the ideal target. We're lucky that there were no fatalities."

"I know," I sighed. At this time I finally managed to glance at my surroundings. "Sirius - where are we?"

Sirius chuckled, "I was wondering when you might ask. We're at Lupin and Tonks' house. They offered to house the Weasleys for as long as they needed. We'll spend the rest of break here."

"I see," I said softly. "Is everyone here?"

"They're all in the living room - worried about you, I might add. I guess the fumes from the fire got to you, because when I looked over at you, you were in the process of fainting," Sirius explained.

"Yes," I began uneasily. "It must've been the fumes."

Sirius paused momentarily. "Are you...alright Christina?"

I looked to him quickly - too quickly. "Of course I'm alright. Why wouldn't I be alright?"

"Just checking..." Sirius trailed off, but I knew he suspected something. "I'm going to go out, do you want to come, or would you just like to rest for a bit more?"

"Rest...if that's okay," I answered.

"It's fine, Christina," Sirius bent down and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Thank you, for talking to me. You've always been there for me, no matter what," I murmured.

"And I'll always be there for you," Sirius assured me.

"You know...you would make a great father," I whispered.

Sirius froze with his hand on the doorknob. For a moment I thought I offended him. "Do you think so?"

There was an insecurity and uncertainty in his voice that I had never heard before. "Yes, I do."

Sirius only nodded in reply.

"I love you," I blurted out. "You're the closest thing to a father I have."

"And it would be vice versa with me. I love you too. Now rest."

Once my eyes closed again I was out like a light.

* * *

Holiday break went by quickly.

We all tried to be in high spirits, and sometimes we managed, and other times we didn't. But being in each other's company definitely helped.

Since all the clothes I brought with me were destroyed in the fire, I had to borrow some of Tonk's clothes, which she graciously offered. Her style was a bit different than mine, but I appreciated it all the same. Most of the clothing was rather small, but I made do.

Mr. Weasley had started to make arrangements to rebuild the Burrow, and we all offered our support. At this rate, it would be rebuilt it no time. That raised our spirits.

Finally the day came to return to Hogwarts.

I gathered my things - which at this point only contained the clothes I wore the day of the fire, the Quidditch ring Ginny got me, the charm bracelet Sirius got me, the necklace that Draco got me, and my wand.

Everyone was waiting by the floo fireplace in Lupin's home.

The Weasleys were saying goodbye to Ron and Ginny while Sirius took Harry and I aside.

"So, this is it," I murmured, feeling a bit sad.

"For now, yes. But not forever," Sirius smiled slightly, but I could tell it was sad.

"Will you owl us?" Harry asked.

"When I can, I most definitely will," Sirius replied. "You have my word."

When Sirius promised something, he did it.

"Are you going back to 12 Grimmauld Place?" I questioned curiously._  
_

"I have to...Buckbeak is there. And I don't think the Death Eaters know where I'm living right now. But if that changes than I'll have to get out quick," Sirius explained.

"Please be careful," I whispered. "Don't be reckless. Stay safe."

"I will, Christina, I will," Sirius promised. "And as for you two...keep an eye on each other, alright? Protect yourselves. And if you ever need anything, contact me."

"We will," I looked up to the ceiling to try to keep myself from crying. "See you soon, I guess."

"Don't guess, because it will happen," Sirius said seriously, and pulled Harry and I in for a hug.

Once everyone had said goodbye, we used the floo network to reach King's Cross Station, where we went through platform 9 3/4.

I noticed friends and familiar faces boarding the Hogwarts Express or saying goodbye to family members.

Waiting at the entrance to the Express was...Hermione.

"Herms!" I called out, waving a hand.

Hermione looked up at the mention of her name and immediately smiled brightly. She scurried over to us and pulled me into a huge hug.

"Christina - I missed you so much!" she practically yelled before lowering her voice. "I didn't get an owl from you, I expect everything was well?"

Harry, Ron, Ginny, and I looked at each other.

"Not quite," I mumbled.

* * *

After I explained the whole story to Hermione, who grew paler by each passing sentence, she pulled me in for another hug. She repeated this motion with Harry, Ginny, and to everyone's surprise, even Ron.

"_Merlin_!" Hermione screeched. "I just can't believe this! Is everyone alright? Are you all alright?" She kept spurting out question after question and I had to hold up a hand to stop her.

"We're all okay, Herms," Harry said. "And they're already making plans to rebuild the Burrow."

"And you all lost everything in the fire?" Hermione asked.

"Everything except what we were wearing that day," Ginny sighed. "And our wands."

"Harry, Christina - what about you? Anything in your trunks?" Hermione questioned.

"Just clothes, basically," Harry shrugged. Hermione glanced to me.

"Yeah...clothes...that's all," I agreed, biting my lip. I lost way more than clothes.

"So that's why you're dressed funny," Hermione examined our clothes.

"Lupin gave the boys some spare clothes, and Ginny and I borrowed from Tonks," I explained.

Hermione shook her head. "I can't believe this actually happened. I'm just glad everyone is okay."

"You know," Ron spoke up, "The only good thing about the fire was that it destroyed that rubbish necklace."

I hit Ron on the arm, "The necklace wasn't that-" I broke out into loud laughter. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I can't say it with a straight face. That necklace was absolutely horrible Ron."

Hermione looked at us blankly. "What are you talking about?"

I shut my mouth. If Hermione and Ron were apparently back on speaking terms, I didn't want to mention Lavender and ruin it.

"Nothing, Herms," I assured her. "It's a long story."

* * *

The ride back to Hogwarts was filled with conversation, mostly about our breaks and the upcoming term. Ginny went off to sit with a couple of her friends, and apparently she told them about what happened because word got around quickly.

By the time we reached the platform at Hogsmeade practically everyone on the train was giving us curious glances or asking about what happened.

We tried our best to give them a simple explanation so that rumors didn't go around that were complete lies. But I knew that would happen regardless.

When we reached Hogwarts I could already hear people saying how were were 'attacked by a flight of angry dragons'. How strange.

But all this left my mind once I stepped through the Hogwarts entrance. Draco was here...

I half expected the castle to be in ruins or disarray, but everything seemed to be in its place.

I missed Draco more than I thought I would over break. Every night I would grasp the necklace he gave me in my palm and think of him, think of what he could be doing.

I also briefly wondered if Dumbledore was back. He would want to talk to us about what happened at the Burrow, I knew.

After greeting a few familiar faces, we went up to the Gryffindor common room.

"Wait - Christina!"

Before I could ascend the dormitory steps, I heard my name being called. I twirled around to find Neville.

"Neville," I smiled widely. "How are you? How was break?"

"It was good. Gran is good, same as always. And my parents...they're okay too. It was nice to see them," Neville replied softly.

I went up to him to give him a hug. "That's great, Neville," I said sincerely.

"I heard what happened at the Burrow," Neville continued.

"Did you hear the real version or the exaggerated one?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You were attacked by Death Eaters...and the Burrow burned down," Neville spoke solemnly.

"Unfortunately, that's the real version," I nodded.

"How is everyone holding up?"

"As best as they can, I guess. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were devastated, as expected. But luckily the rebuilding process will start soon," I explained.

"That's good I guess. But anyway, Christina, That wasn't why I called you - although I really did want to know how you were," Neville paused and took a piece of parchment out of his pocket. "This was slipped under the portrait door about a ten minutes ago. It's addressed to you."

I stared at the paper in his hand curiously. "Do you know who it's from?"

"No, it just says your name - see?" Neville pointed to the front of the parchment where my name was printed in fancy cursive. The writing looked familiar.

"Did anyone try to open it?" I asked.

"A couple nosy third year girls got to it first and tried to open it..." he shuddered. "And _now_ they're trying to get rid of all the boils on their skin. I think there's a jinx on it."

"So no one can open it but me," I mused, carefully taking the parchment from him. "Thanks for watching it, Neville."

"Not a problem. I'll be around the common room if you need anything."

I smiled at him as I continued walking to my dorm. On the way up my curiosity got the better of me and I opened up the parchment. There was a few scribbles in the same cursive that decorated the front.

_Christina,_

_Meet me at the usual place at 7pm. Come alone. _

_The Boyfriend _

I knew who it was from.

I had a good laugh. Obviously I would come alone. And also...who ends a letter with 'The Boyfriend'? We were going to have to talk about that.

Checking the grandfather clock in the corner of the dorm room, I saw that it was ten to seven. I needed to go now. And I couldn't wait to see him.

"I'll be right back! I'm doing stuff, Herms. Things!" I called out to Hermione, who was in the bathroom. I heard an 'okay' from her, so I jumped down the stairs two at a time and headed for the Astronomy Tower.

Or at least I hoped the 'usual place' meant the Astronomy Tower.

* * *

I definitely needed to get back into Quidditch - and soon. All the steps winded me, and I could barely catch my breath as I heaved myself up the final set.

Merlin I was the world's most out of shape Quidditch player, honestly.

But when I reached the top of the Astronomy Tower, and I saw that head of platinum blond hair, being out of shape was the least of my concerns.

Draco obviously heard me coming, because he slowly lowered his head and then turned to face me.

Once our eyes met I knew I couldn't help myself. I ran towards him in a probably very unflattering way, but he didn't seem to mind as he embraced me tightly.

Our lips collided roughly, and I slowly ran my hands up his neck and into his hair. It was remarkably soft today, void of any hairspray or product.

As Draco deepened the kiss his hands fell from my shoulders to my waist, gripping tightly.

When I began to see black spots in my vision due to lack of oxygen intake, I pulled away with a gasp. "I missed you," I said with what little breath I had.

"I missed you too," Draco murmured quietly, and I closed my eyes, savoring the voice I had missed for practically a week. It wasn't too long, but seeing him now, the separation felt like a small eternity.

I wanted to kiss him again, but there were things I needed to mention. "Do you know what happened?"

Draco gave me a confused look as he began to trace my jawline with his thumb. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know how I was staying at the Burrow - right?" I asked.

Draco nodded but said nothing.

"On Christmas...we...were attacked by Death Eaters," I said quickly. So quickly I barely even understood my words.

But Draco apparently did as his grip tightened on my body before releasing me completely. "What?" he hissed.

I looked down, feeling unbearable timid at the moment. Maybe it was because I didn't expect him to react this way.

"They attacked us, a couple of us were mildly injured...and then they burned the Burrow down,"I whispered.

Draco sucked in a breath. "Were _you_ injured?"

"Only slightly," I replied after a few seconds.

This didn't seem to appease Draco, as he began to pace. His fists clenched and un-clenched rapidly.

"Do you know...do you know who the Death Eaters were?" Draco asked, and began to unconsciously scratch at his left wrist. The action didn't go unnoticed by me.

"Bellatrix and Greyback," I answered.

Draco nodded quickly, and turned away. His body was tense - more tense than I had ever seen it.

"Draco," I began, not knowing how to say this. "Did you have any idea about this? With your father being a Death Eater and all..."

For the first time in _all_ the time I had known him, Draco honestly looked hurt by this accusation. And offended. "No Christina, I didn't." His tone was heartbreaking.

I reached out to touch him but he pulled away from me abruptly. I bit my lip. "Draco, I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. I just..."

Draco finally looked up at me. "I know what you meant," he said, and his voice had gotten softer. "If I knew anything about it I would've-" he paused, and never continued his sentence. I honestly didn't think _he_ even knew what he would've done in that situation. "I'm glad you were't hurt more," he said instead.

"I'm not too worried about me...it was the Weasleys' home. They were devastated. You shouldn't worry about me-"

"But I do worry about you," Draco interrupted sharply. "In all honesty Christina, I don't care about the Weasleys. I don't care about Potter, or Granger, or any of them. It's you. You're the only one I care about."

I gasped, "You don't even care about them as a human being to another human being?"

Draco shook his head, and his eyes were a mixture of fear, anger, and contemplation. "I don't know Christina. I don't. Don't ask me to develop some kind of respect for them just because we're together-"

"But I never asked you to-"

"You have, Christina," Draco interrupted. "I can see it in your eyes. And you can't expect that of me. It's selfish. I never wanted to care about you. Ever. And I managed not to for a long time. But somehow you got under my skin and you just stuck there. Like a _leech_! And now I can't remove you. And I don't want to. I care about you, Christina. Just you, only you. Don't ask me to care for other people when caring for you is confusing enough."

"I never _asked_ you to care about _me_," I retorted. "You're acting like it's this massive burden I gave you to bear. Is that how you see it?"

"No, you didn't ask me to. But you know what? Over time I started to. And now I can't stop. So yes, Christina. This is new, and confusing, and a burden. But it's one that I want. It's one that I chose. There are times when I know things will fall apart. But...I can't seem to bring myself to regret it."

I couldn't hold back any longer, I darted for him. At first Draco put his hands up in defensive mode, but when I latched my lips onto his, his body relaxed. It still took him a few moments to begin to respond though.

Just as he went to deepen the kiss, I broke away. "I just hate it when you say horrible things about my friends."

Draco raised a tired eyebrow. "And you think it's okay to say horrible things about _my_ friends?"

I smirked, "Well that's because they're all gits. Led by the Head Git himself."

Draco scowled slightly before shrugging his shoulders. "Can't argue with that, Miro," He pulled me in for another swift kiss. "But, are you alright - with everything that happened?"

My amused state was immediately broken. I closed my eyes, dreading my answer. "No. I'm not," I finally replied, my voice cracking slightly. "I lost everything. All my money was in my trunk. My entire life savings. And it burned with the Burrow."

I couldn't will myself to cry, even if I wanted to. I was all cried out from the night it happened. My voice held the emotion I couldn't act out.

Draco studied me. I knew he was expecting some tears, he was preparing himself for them. But they didn't come. Instead, he pulled me into a hug.

"We'll figure this out," he whispered into my hair. "Together, we'll figure this out."

I pulled back slightly, "_I'll_ figure this out," I pointed out. "This is my situation, and I have to deal with it."

Draco frowned. "But you're my _girlfriend_, and I want to help you."

I nearly let him win the discussion because he called me his 'girlfriend'. I never heard him say it out loud.

"I need to do this on my own. And as my _boyfriend_, you should respect my wishes."

"Just because I should doesn't mean I will," Draco muttered under his breath.

"Draco!" I said sternly, but felt a smile forming.

"This isn't over, Christina," Draco mumbled.

I knew this was Draco's way of giving in, so I smiled triumphantly.

"Quick question though...were all of your clothes burned as well?" Draco asked.

I raised an eyebrow, "All the ones I had with me. Why?"

Draco glanced up and down my body. "Well, that explains your choice of attire."

"I borrowed them," I explained.

"From who, Trelawney?"

I hit his shoulder. "Draco - they aren't that bad. You don't like them?"

"It's not that I don't like them...it's that...well...I don't really like them," Draco chuckled.

"Hmph," I pursed my lips. "Fine then, I'll go change into something else."

"Or _nothing_," Draco suggested in a low voice.

I turned around to jokingly scold him when his mouth lightly molded over mine. We playfully touched lips a couple times, before meeting with more certainty and passion.

Merlin, it was good to be home.

* * *

**A/N: DRACO'S BACK! YAY! Finally, right? Anyway, sorry for the long wait...I was super busy this week. Hope this makes up for it :D Anyway, now the shoutout time. Thanks to all my reviewers. I say this all the time, but you all truly are the best.**

**********Thank you to __****xXMizz Alec VolturixX, chaansan, Potterhead313, Snipe Hunter 98, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, all the Guests, Megan, Nicky-Maree, Sasha, oXxgeorgiaxXo, misslagear, Notsilveraura, Alice-Ann Wonderland, StoryWriter23, SideshowJazz1, xxLiveLoveReadxx, ThePhantomismyLove, Xylia1014, xXChickenButt98Xx, maldilove, LoveIt2, BookButterfly2, Scrt Vlntn, MrsMoonshine, bookreader1617, Maeve Epans, HermioneThatCanDraw, crazy's wat i aim 4, Nightingalelynx, MrsHarryfreakingPotter, AziniliaGraceStories, nina-eponine, Gem, Megan, Talon-Murtagh-Yassen-Sirius, The-Darkened Abyss, TheDuckKnight, yulogoi, contagious, Jordan, zomgitskaylaaa, Cerulean orbs, AlwaysTomorrow, Rue Dawn, magical origami, Brianna, and leathyde!**

**********__****Also...if you watch The Walking Dead, I left a little reference in this update...;D**

**********__****Double also...so, last chapter I asked you what Hogwarts house you would be in. I read all of your replies, and they varied. I was happy to hear your reasoning and thoughts about it, and honestly, you all seem like such cool people.**

**********__****As for me...I'm Slytherin! Shocker, huh? Pottermore sorted me that, and I actually always thought of myself as a Slytherin. Although, I'm not okay with the whole pureblood supremacy thing. Anyway, if you're on Pottermore add me! OwlRune8407. **

**********__****Okay new question to ponder, hm...who is your absolute favorite Harry Potter character? if you can't choose, you can say who you're stuck between. My answer will be in the next update (: R&R!**


	43. Meddling With Luck

**Disclaimer: We all know I don't own Harry Potter...come on don't act so surprised, you knew this was coming...**

* * *

"Do I _have_ to?" My repetitive groans were muffled due to my face being firmly planted against my pillow.

It was our first day back to classes after the break, and yes while I loved doing magic and all the sort, me and mornings just didn't mix impeccably well.

"Yes Christina, I've given you an extra ten minutes! At this rate we'll probably already miss breakfast," Hermione reminded me sharply. Her expression softened after, however. "I promise that you can have the best nap of your life during your free period. I'll even tuck you in and everything," she goaded.

"You'll even tuck me in?" I repeated sarcastically, though I couldn't say the prospect wasn't amusing. "Well then, Hermione. You've made me an offer I just can't refuse." Though my body protested strongly, I willed myself out of my bed and practically sleep-walked into the bathroom to freshen up.

Five minutes later I reappeared, dressed in my uniform – which was decidedly unkempt looking, like I had just thrown it on...but that's kind of what I did so...

"Christina, your hair is up!" Hermione observed with mild surprise.

The burst of self-consciousness I felt after hearing that was enough to wake me up slightly. I hadn't even give it a second thought until now. "Uh, yeah, it is. Is it...okay?" I asked, patting it worriedly.

"Yes, of course. I was just surprised. You never wear your hair up," Hermione replied.

She was right – I never did. I always thought that I had too round of a jaw line, and I compensated with having my hair down – always. It became a habit now, and I usually never went anywhere unless my hair was loose around my shoulders – I couldn't feel comfortable with it any other way.

But honestly this morning I was too tired to even care about a silly matter such as hair.

If we were talking about sleep, well, that was another matter altogether. My bed looked practically _delicious_ right now.

"I know I may not look my best," I stammered quietly, stifling a yawn, "But I can't bring myself to care. It's just for today."

Hermione sighed deeply, "Christina, you look fine. I was not insulting you. I told you, I was surprised. Imagine if I walked out of the bathroom with shiny straight red hair, and how different I would look," she offered as a possible scenario.

I mentally pictured it and scrunched up my nose. "I see now, Herms. That would be quite a change," I murmured, glancing over at her wild brown curls. "I've just barely gotten used to you now, don't go changing on me," I teased.

"Your humor is coming back, you must be waking up," Hermione cracked a smile.

I grabbed my book bag and started to descend the dormitory stairs. "Talk to me after I've had my customary morning pumpkin juice – I'll be even better then."

* * *

The Great Hall was filled to the brim with lifeless and dull energy. Everyone seemed to be feeling the morning-after-break effects that I was.

Actually, the only student who seemed to be exempt from this was Hermione...big surprise there.

Hermione and I found our seats at the Gryffindor table next to Harry and Ron.

At this moment in time, they were both leaning against each other, looking to be in a state of light sleep.

"Should you wake them, or should I?" Hermione asked amusedly, raising an eyebrow.

I put up a hand to stop her, glaring at the boys enviously. "Let them sleep, those lucky lads. Off in the dream world, peaceful and quiet. No work...no mornings...the world could be beautiful and the skies could be filled with song...they could even have bright and shiny-"

"Christina you're frightening me. Please drink your pumpkin juice," Hermione blinked a few times before adding as an afterthought. "You seem to be spending too much time with Luna..."

"She's definitely got a nice view on the world, you have to admit," I mumbled, pouring myself a glass of juice. I downed it in one swing. "_That's_ the stuff! I feel like a million galleons."

"Are you being sarcastic?" Hermione asked curiously.

I merely raised an eyebrow.

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned sharply to Harry and Ron. "Wake up boys!"

Harry and Ron each shot their heads up, rubbing their eyes tiredly.

"Where am I?" Ron asked, looking around, apparently still in a dream state.

"Merlin – you must've been out of it. You're in the Great Hall, buddy. Get ready for a day full of classes," I hated to be the bearer of bad news.

Ron frowned. "You couldn't have just let me sleep?" he mumbled.

"Oi, if _I_ have to be awake, so do _you_," I pointed out decidedly. "It's a rule."

"A rule?" Harry repeated tiredly. "Why haven't I heard of these _rules_ before?"

I gave an expression of false shock. "_What_? I tell you the rules all the time!"

"And for Merlin's sake, what are some of these rules?" Harry asked, amusement playing behind his thick, sleepy tone.

I put a finger to my chin, "Hm. If you have food you have to share it with me."

Ron seemed defensive, "Any specific food?"

"_Good_ food," I clarified.

"Good food," Harry was holding back a laugh. "Any other rules we should know about?"

"You cannot fly the Ford Anglia while I'm in the car with you," I reminded.

"Knew that," Ron snickered.

"Fine, um...you can't use the word 'bloody' more than ten times a day," I smirked.

"Well that's bloody-" Ron cut himself off and gave me a scowl. "I don't like these rules."

"Well they're rules, you're not supposed to like them, you're just supposed to follow them," I said innocently.

There was a moment of silence before all my friends cracked up, even some of the surrounding Gryffindors who were listening to our conversation started to chuckle.

"Christina," Harry gasped out between laughs. "Did you just hear yourself?"

"When have _you_ ever followed the rules?" Ron added.

"Well I..." I began to stammer defensively.

"I think it's a rule of yours to _break_ every rule set before you," Hermione couldn't help but input her own comment.

I glared at my friends mutinously. "Whatever," Was the best response I could come up with. "Well, I'm going to class."

I waved off my friend's protests as I exited the Great Hall. I knew it was all good fun, but I was still annoyed.

_I'm not that much of a rule-breaker, am I? Well what about Harry! He's the same way, even worse!_

I shook my head, still trying to tell myself that I followed the rules...well, just the ones that made sense, anyway...or, the ones that made sense to _me_...

Before I could ponder any further on this subject, I felt a strong grasp on my left arm, and quickly stumbled into a small alcove.

I already knew who it was before I looked. It was my _boyfriend's_ telltale sign.

Boyfriend, boyfriend, _boyfriend_, **boyfriend**.

Would I ever get used to say that? Especially when its meaning was tied to-

"Hello," Draco murmured softly, looking at me with ill-concealed affection.

"Hello to you too," I smiled brightly, feeling energy sweep over me.

Sleep? Sleep? How could I have ever wanted sleep? I'm here now with Draco and sleeping in the _last_ thing on my mind...

"How are you, this morning?" Draco obviously couldn't read my mind, or body language, or he purposely overlooked my pretty obvious signals.

I didn't even get a hello kiss yet, but I tried to stop myself from feeling too deprived. I guess this was what love did to you – wait, what, love?

Well, given that I _had_ kind of come to realize that I was starting to develop love-like feelings for Draco...it was a whole other story to plainly admit it. And a whole other scenario to admit it to _him_.

No I wasn't ready – not yet, anyway.

So I decided on a relatively casual answer. "Sleepy, but good. And yourself?"

Draco looked amused. "Rather _sleepy_ myself, I must admit. You did keep me pretty late at the Astronomy Tower last night..."

I flashed him a cheeky smirk, "If I can recall correctly, _you_ were the one who suggested to stay for 'a little while longer'," I raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't get enough of me, could you?"

"Perhaps not," Draco said it in a way that seemed to be a revelation to himself as well. I didn't pursue that line of questioning. In fact, I didn't have time to say anything at all because Draco spoke again, "You look...different," he commented, looking me over briefly.

I bit my lip, "Oh yes, it's the post Draco-Astronomy Tower glow. Can't you tell?" I teased flirtatiously.

Draco knitted his eyebrows together, "Oh no, I noticed that when you walked into the Great Hall this morning," He waved a hand dismissively. Before I could protest, however, he continued, "But now that I'm seeing you up close, there is something different."

"Are you quite sure?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant and confident, but even I could detect a flicker of uncertainty in my voice.

Draco seemed to hear it as well, as he briefly met my eyes concernedly before going back to his search. After a few more moments the pieces seemed to click for him, and a knowing, triumph look graced his eyes. "I know," he began, crossing his arms over his chest. "Your hair is up."

I was tempted, oh so tempted, to let out an exasperated breath.

Yes, so my hair was up. I'd been getting strange looks since I walked into the Great Hall. Was it really that big a difference? And more importantly, that big a deal?

"You caught me," I mumbled sarcastically, trying not to hint at my irritation.

"It's different," Draco murmured distractedly, and I could tell that he was studying me intently. I felt like shying away from his gaze, but I didn't. I stood firm.

"Well, good different or bad different?" I asked the practically given question.

I honestly didn't care what his answer was, or anyone else's for that matter. It was too late to put my hair down now; it would probably be all greasy and messy anyway. If I was going to have to deal with my hair up, then so would the world.

And that was that.

Draco surprised me, however, when I felt one of his hands reach up and finger the exposed skin of my neck. I had to fight the urge to close my eyes as he calloused yet soft fingers traveled the expanse of my neck slowly, before returning to its original starting point and repeating the motion again.

At one point his fingertips were so lightly touching me it almost tickled...but I stifled my giggle, not wanting to break whatever reverie Draco was in. I rather liked it at the moment.

"You look like Christina," Draco finally whispered, like that answer solved my question and any more I would throw his way.

"I guess that's good considering I _am_ Christina," I trailed off, beginning to ramble.

I usually never got nervous or jittery in these types of situations, but right now I honestly couldn't fight it.

Draco continued like he hadn't heard what I said, or purposely glossed over it, "This makes it a whole lot easier to kiss your neck, one of my favorite places to kiss," Draco murmured, leaning in like he was about to taste the forbidden fruit. He was right; he did seem to spend a lot of time on my neck when we kissed. "No hair in the way...and your smooth pale skin in all its glory..."

Okay, I must be in a dream. Draco had never talked to me like this before.

But when I felt Draco's all too real lips attach to the area just above my collar bone, I knew I wasn't dreaming.

I let out a gasping moan, my hands twitching restlessly at my sides, itching to weave into his hair. But glancing down at the perfectly styled platinum locks, I didn't want to ruin it, so I refrained. Though it was a struggle.

Draco glided over my neck with such swiftness that it almost felt like a phantom kind of sensation. Feeling it was there without really being there at all.

His lips landed just beneath my earlobe. Every time he let out a breath, I could feel the hot air span across my neck, eliciting goosebumps across my body. Draco's mouth opened wider as he continued to travel down, and I could feel a trail of wetness that made me shiver when a breeze of wind came.

Unexpectedly Draco bit down on the skin covering my jugular, and it make me snap back into my senses and into action – perhaps his desired response.

Feeling all my Gryffindor courage and Christina Miro fearlessness return tenfold, I almost savagely gripped Draco's shoulders and shoved his body into mine.

Draco made a low sound of surprise which was interrupted by my lips crashing down on his. But Draco didn't seem to mind at all, in fact he began to kiss back with equal, if not more, fervor.

My tongue traced his bottom lip determinedly, before slipping into his mouth and hungrily pressing against his own tongue.

Draco didn't seem to know what to do with this hands first, at one point they were cupping my jaw, and the next they were digging into my hips, firmly and purposely.

I couldn't get enough – I needed more.

The alcove suddenly seemed too small – too much for all of this passion, this energy.

I lifted my hips without any hint of my earlier nervousness. Our groins connected rather harshly, but our low growls told me that the experience wasn't unpleasant.

Draco began to roll his hips to my rhythm, a seemingly unconscious act.

Our kisses grew stronger, deeper. Instead of long, drawn out caresses our mouths were now meeting with short, quick dips, laced with hunger and arousal.

We both knew that it couldn't go on for much longer – anybody could walk by at any moment, and we had class to get to. Plus, we were in an _alcove_.

But neither of us seemed to care at the moment.

"We're going to be late for class," I managed once I pulled away from Draco's bruised lips, taking in a much needed breath of air.

Draco, however, didn't seem to need the luxury of breathing as he dove straight down for my neck again, lavishing it with small nips followed by soothing openmouthed kisses.

"When have – you cared – about that – before?" The sentence slipped out of Draco's working mouth in spurts, and I could barely understand him as his mouth continued its attention on my neck.

"You gotta start caring sometime," I murmured, swallowing a loud groan as Draco bit down on a particularly sweet spot.

"I wish we were in a more private area," Draco relayed, glancing up at me quickly. "I love to hear you."

I suppose I should've blushed or looked away sheepishly – but I didn't.

In a moment of pure confidence, I pressed my hand against Draco's solid abdomen, before moving lower until my palm was pressed against the almost obvious tent in his trousers.

Draco gasped and practically whimpered – a sound I'd never heard him make before.

_Ooh yes, I could definitely have fun with this..._

I leaned in closely to him, pressing my mouth directly up against his ear. "I like hearing you too," I whispered, pressing my palm down a bit harder. I could hear his breathing quicken, and I _felt_ his heart rate increase against my own chest.

After taking a couple deep breaths, I pulled away and prepared to walk out of the alcove. I couldn't say I was surprised when I felt two hands grab onto my shoulders.

"Christina, Christina, you silly girl," Draco shook his head, and somehow his words were laced with seduction, making my knees tremble and my lower body quiver. "You have no idea of the magic you hold."

I couldn't help but smirk slightly, "Well _duh_ – I'm a witch."

Draco wasn't deterred, "That wasn't what I meant, and you _know_ it." He ducked in for another kiss, but I reluctantly dodged it.

Merlin did I want to kiss him again, but I was going to be late for Transfiguration.

"We need to get to class," I reminded him earnestly, though my heart wasn't really in it.

Draco let out an annoyed sigh, "Can't we lose ourselves in each other for a bit more? Reality doesn't seem as nice after _that_."

I almost gave in – almost. But I was strong, and despite my intense desires, I couldn't let lust drive my decisions. I needed to get to class, we _both_ did.

"Later," I said, and it was a promise as much as a statement.

After a couple moments Draco gave in, "Later?" he repeated, looking for affirmation.

I nodded surely, "Yes. Now go – I'll see you in Potions." I leaned in to give him a quick goodbye kiss, but as I saw his arms going up to pull me in closer I broke away. "Ah ah ah, don't be naughty," I teased.

"I like naughty," Draco admitted in that low voice that was like a turn on switch for my arousal.

"That's good to know – for future references and all," I nodded. "Now goodbye for real. Catch you next period, Malfoy."

I escaped from the alcove with no more interruptions. I was long gone by the time Draco replied.

"_Later_, Christina."

* * *

Transfiguration went by rather quickly, and I was pretty sure it was because I spent half the class in the back asleep. I couldn't help it, my eyes seemed to drift closed at the own accord.

Once the bell rang for next class, I grabbed my things and hurried to the dungeons for Potions with Slughorn. Now _there_ was a professor I didn't really miss all that much. On the top of that list, however, would be the obvious choice of Snape.

No, he wasn't dethroned as the most dismal professor yet.

I arrived in the classroom and saw the whole class there already. I smiled at Hermione, Ron, and Harry before taking my place at my station with Draco.

We both avoided outright eye contact, but from the corner of my eye I could see him glancing at me every so often, and we shared a small smirk. Sometimes secrets were fun...for a little while.

"Hello class, and welcome back from break. I trust you all enjoyed yourselves?" Slughorn asked, but got no response.

I figured it was one of the those things every teacher did, throw out rhetorical and casual questions knowing full well they were likely to go unanswered. Perhaps they did it out of politeness, but who knows?

"Ah – today we're going to jump right into the lesson. We're going to be making Draught of Living Death," Slughorn explained excitedly. "And this is going to be individually, so I hope each of your brought your own cauldron."

I automatically reached into my bag and pulled out my cauldron, as did everyone.

"And..." Slughorn began again. "For the student who makes the best batch of this draught...they will receive this." Slughorn reached down and pulled up a small golden contained with clear liquid inside.

"What is it, professor?" Lavender raised her hand and asked.

"This, class, is a curious little potion known as Felix Felices," Slughorn replied. "But it is more commonly referred to as-"

"Liquid Luck," Hermione spoke quickly.

"Yes Ms. Granger," Slughorn nodded, "Liquid Luck. Desperately tricky to make and disastrous should you get it wrong. With one sip, you'll find that all your endeavors succeed. At least until the effects wear off."

I was fascinated by that little potion, but when I turned to see Draco's reaction, a tight knot in my stomach began to form.

He looked awed and hopeful, and I suddenly knew that with that potion in his clutches, it would only do more harm than good. I had yet to figure out what he was up to, but I knew that I couldn't let him get that potion.

With this mindset, I promised myself that no matter what, I wouldn't let his potion succeed. I had to do whatever it takes.

Once Draco broke his stupor and looked to me, his entire demeanor changed back into the expressionless mask I knew intimately.

"So – ah, like I brought up before. This is what I offer each one of you, one tiny vial of Liquid Luck to the student that in the hour that remains manages to brew an acceptable Draught of Living Death. Recipes for which can be found on page ten of your books. Good luck to you all."

Each student opened their Potions books and began.

I checked over the ingredients swiftly. I had to focus on many things right now, including what I was doing _and_ what Draco was doing.

Looking back down at my book, I glanced at the instructions.

**1. Cut up the Sopophorous bean**

**2. Pour in 250 fl. oz. of water and add 5 oz. of African sea salt to the beaker. Set the beaker aside after all the water has been added. Be very careful not to shake or move the beaker now.**

**3. Leave the water and salt to rest for five minutes.**

**4. Slowly pour all the water into the cauldron.**

**5. With your left hand use the graduated cylinder to obtain 40 . of essence of wormwood.**

**6. With your right hand hold the cauldron at a slight angle and pour ten drops (20 .) of essence of wormwood.**

**7. Now with your left hand hold the cauldron at a slightly different angle and pour another ten drops of wormwood essence.**

**8. Chop three Valerian roots into small squared pieces. After cutting place it in a beaker with water. Leave it to settle for five minutes. Your potion should now be resembling a smooth blackcurrant-colored liquid.**

**9. Carefully pour the Sopophorous bean's juice into the cauldron**

**10. Add seven drops of the reduced liquid from the beaker; make sure there are no traces or fragments of Valerian root.**

**11. Stir the potion ten times clockwise; your potion should now be turning a light shade of lilac.**

**12. With your right hand stir the potion counterclockwise until the potion turns as clear as water; every stir should take approximately two and a half seconds.**

**13. Slowly put in seven square pieces of Valerian root.**

**14. Stir the potion ten times counterclockwise.**

**15. Add one hundred and fifty . of powdered root of asphodel.**

**16. Hold the cauldron with your right hand; with your left hand gently stir the potion ten times counterclockwise and eight times clockwise.**

**17. Leave the potion to settle for two and a half minutes.**

**18. Add one small piece of Valerian root.**

**19. Your potion should turn to a pale pink color; the preparation is now complete**

Okay – simple enough.

Not really.

I couldn't panic, I had to remain calm.

First things first – I had to get all the ingredients.

I was one of the last ones to get the ingredients, followed only by Draco. As I gathered the ingredients in my arms, Draco did the same, glancing at me every so often.

"You look troubled, dear Christina," Draco observed, grabbing the Valerian root from the shelf.

"Troubled – what – me – no –psh," I said that all too quickly. "If there was an award for the least troubled person right now, it would go to me," I continued, babbling. "If we were in those muggle Olympics, I would take the gold medal in the 'least troubled' category. Ha..ha..." I trailed off, chuckling nervously, before flashing Draco an innocent grin.

Draco looked at me as if I had just turned into Fluffy, the three headed dog. "Okay Miro," Was all he ended up saying, but I was sure he was thinking a bit more.

On our way out of the closet, I 'accidentally' knocked into him, and a couple of his ingredients crashed to the ground, now useless.

"Malfoy – I'm sorry!" I said, lacing my voice with sincerity.

Slughorn glanced over to see what the noise was, but once he caught sight of me he turned away knowingly.

Draco glanced at me with a guarded expression for a moment. "Whatever, Miro," he mumbled, leaning down to pick up his stuff. I knew he wasn't too mad, but he had to act the part for the students in the class who were watching.

I quickly got back to my station and placed all the ingredients in front of me.

_So now what?_

I decided to start with my draught so that I didn't look too suspicious.

Firstly I had to...I checked my book...cut up the Sopophorous bean. I grabbed one of the beans and lifted my knife. As I tried to cut into it, the bean literally jumped away.

I glared at it, becoming increasingly annoyed. Trying again, the bean went soaring off my desk and managed to hit Slughorn in the forehead. He stared at me pitifully before turning away to check on another student's progress.

_Merlin, end this bad luck. I really don't deserve it._

"Having trouble, Miro?" Draco's voice was an equal touch of amusement and sarcasm.

"No," I said through gritted teeth. "Mind your own business, Malfoy."

"As you wish," Draco chuckled before getting to his concoction. He really looked determined – this wasn't good.

When he tried to cut up his Sopophorous bean, he understood why I was having so much trouble.

"Having trouble, Malfoy?" I couldn't help but comment sarcastically.

Draco barely glanced at me; he was too busy trying to cut his bean into oblivion.

While he was so focused on the bean, I inconspicuously took his Valerian roots and traded them with another similar root I found on the shelf. I hoped to Merlin he wouldn't notice the difference – they were quite alike.

Once I had finished five steps of the draught, I checked back in with Draco.

He was looking at his cauldron with firm intent, carefully adding each ingredient. When he was about to add in the essence of wormwood, I _accidentally_ tripped into him, causing way more of the ingredient to fall into the cauldron.

"Miro!" he called out sharply, distress obvious in his tone. For a moment I felt bad – he really wanted this. But then I remembered the larger goal and steeled my resolve again.

"I'm so sorry Malfoy," I whispered, trying to act horrified. "I didn't mean to, I swear it."

Draco looked at me with annoyance, and I could tell he was trying to reign in his temper. He didn't reply to me, he only turned back around and tried to fix the damage done to his draught.

_Sorry Draco, by the time I'm through with you it will be unfixable._

We continued to work in silence until I saw another opportunity for disaster.

Draco had his powdered root of asphodel all measured and lined up on the desk beside me. With a seemingly innocent brush of my arm, I sent the ingredient to the ground.

"Merlin, Malfoy!" I shrieked quietly. "I don't know what's wrong with me today!"

Draco's expression could kill. Me, specifically. "Miro, I don't know what you're-"

"Is everything alright over here?" Slughorn hurried over, obviously seeing the commotion.

"I'm sorry, professor. It's me. I'm rather klutzy today. I promise I will be more careful," I pledged sincerely. I hoped Slughorn bought it – and Draco too.

"Yes very well," Slughorn murmured indifferently. "You would do well to, Ms. Miro."

I nodded, "Yes, indeed."

When Slughorn walked away Draco still pinned me down with his stare. I think we both knew that his potion was not salvageable at this point.

Mission accomplished.

Merlin, Draco looked murderous.

Once everyone in the class finished their draughts, Slughorn came around to check.

When he went by our station, he looked highly disappointed with Draco's draught, but gave me a begrudging 'well done'. Certainly not the best, but hey, at least he didn't look at me with pity and sorrow and tell me I was the worst student he ever had...which was what I was expecting.

Hermione had a very well done draught, but the biggest surprise was when Slughorn looked at Harry's cauldron with glee. He quickly dropped a small leaf into the cauldron and watched as it completely disintegrated.

"Very well done! I daresay one drop would kill us all," Slughorn praised. "I believe you are the winner, dear boy."

We all watched as Harry took the Liquid Luck from Slughorn carefully.

"Use it well," Slughorn warned, and Harry nodded stiffly.

The bell rang for class to be dismissed and I hurriedly gathered my books. Draco was already heading out, but before he left he cut me one last scary look.

I might've saved the world from Draco's evil plans, but I didn't know how safe _I_ was.

* * *

**A/N: Finally an update, yay! Anyway I've been super busy but I just found a little bit of time to get this update out. Hope you all enjoyed the bit of romance and humor. And I wonder what's going to happen next... Thank you to every reviewer, you honestly don't know how much you mean to me. **

**Oh and for The Walking Dead fans, my reference in the last chapter was the line, "I'm doing stuff, Herms. Things!" It's become a pretty popular meme in the fandom haha.**

** Now for the question...many of the responses I got were incredibly different. Some for Sirius, some Luna, Fred, Draco...all very good characters.**

**For myself, I was always caught between Sirius Black, Draco Malfoy, and *gasp* Tom Riddle! I think each character has an amazingly detailed and crafted backstory, and that's what draws me in. They are such well created characters, and I can relate to each. Well, maybe not Tom Riddle so much on the 'I'm going to kill all who oppose me', but in other ways, yes. Thank you all for sharing your answers with me. **

**Next question: What is your favorite HP book? And what is your favorite HP movie? Why?**

**Thanks to all of you again!**


	44. Confrontation

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. But sometimes I imagine I do... *A Dream Is Wish Your Heart Makes starts playing***

* * *

Operation ADMAAC, or Avoid Draco Malfoy At All Costs, wasn't going as swimmingly as I had hoped.

No matter where I went, I would always see him in the hallway, watching me with squinted eyes, filled with suspicion. My only saving grace was that he couldn't make a move in the crowded hall, or at least I _thought_ he wouldn't.

Right now I honestly didn't know what to expect...all I knew was that when the time came, I would be in major trouble.

So I was doing everything I could to postpone that for as long as possible.

Hey, I always was a procrastinator, why shouldn't I push our ultimate confrontation to the last minute?

Anyway, lunch was bloody uncomfortable.

I was eating and trying to talk as I normally would, but whenever someone would touch me or bump into me unexpectedly, I would let out a small shriek and beg for him to go easy on me.

It was a rather odd gesture to my surrounding friends, and even more so to the person that touched me, which never actually was Draco.

This waiting was killing me.

After lunch I practically dragged my feet into D.A.D.A, my body shaking with apprehension when I noticed a head of platinum blond hair in the front of the classroom.

I was nervous. Shit, I never got nervous. I was always cool, composed, in control...until I started having feelings for Draco.

Shit shit shit shit bloody shit.

Why was I letting him get to me like this? Where was my Gryffindor courage? He was playing mind games with me; he probably wanted me to feel like this.

I plopped down in my seat and scoffed loudly, ignoring the puzzled looks my classmates gave me.

No, I wasn't going to back down and act like a scared little girl. I was done with that.

I would stand my ground and show him who was boss. No turning back.

I raised my head then, steeling my jaw with strong determination.

Chancing a look towards Draco, my stomach almost exploded with anxiety when I found he was already looking at me. His gaze didn't drop when we locked eyes; if anything his suspicion increased tenfold as he studied me intently.

After a couple moments my resolve began to waver, and when his eyes narrowed and mouth curled into a snarl, all of the fight left my body.

Yeah I was scared, no hiding that.

I quickly turned my head and tried to focus on anything else in the room; the wonderfully bland walls, Snape's greasy dark head as he watched the students enter the classroom, two Slytherin students making lovey dovey eyes at each other from across the room...and nope my eyes came back to Draco.

But he wasn't looking at me this time; he was staring straight ahead, with a bland, yet contemplative expression on his face.

I began to wonder what exactly he thought about this whole Potions mishap. I mean, I knew he knew that I purposely ruined his chances of getting the Felix Felices...

And I knew he knew I knew he knew...

Which meant that he knew I knew he knew – MERLIN'S BEARD SOMEONE STOP ME.

I always babbled when I was nervous or afraid, which didn't happen often. I guessed that was why I babbled – I never was in fearful situations, for me anyway, and so I never knew how to handle them when the time came.

But this was just getting pathetic, and if anyone around me could hear my thoughts they would have half a mind to send me to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for being insane.

However, all this thinking brought me to another point...what was Draco going to do?

I wasn't sure how much Draco knew, but I was sure that he was pissed and he was going to pry for the information when the time came. That part was predictable.

But what would he do to get that information?

_Torture me? _A small voice in the back of my mind came through, but I furiously shook my head as if to rid myself of the thought.

_No way! Draco wouldn't do that to me! In the past years, maybe, but now? After everything?_

I tried to shake my head again, but newfound doubts were slowly creeping into my mind.

If he thought I knew things about whatever he was involved in, how far would he go to keep me from talking or finding out more?

I barely knew anything at this point in time, but who's to say that I wouldn't find out more if we continued on like this? And what if the people he was involved in found out I was onto him?

Or more importantly Harry, Ron, and Hermione, because they wouldn't be as lenient or biased as I would...they had no personal affectionate connections to Draco like I did.

Like I did?

Of course I did. And now I realized...

When and if the time came that I found out information that could potentially help us and the Wizarding World, but hurt and hinder Draco, what would I do?

I repeatedly told myself I would do the right thing, do the greater good, but where matters of the heart are concerned, sometimes the right thing isn't always the best option...

_NO! _I thought so loudly and furiously that I almost shouted the word out in reality. _I would have to do whatever it takes to make this world safer, for everyone, from people like Voldemort. And if that means giving up Draco, that is what I would have to do._

I let my thoughts rest just then, feeling completely drained and uncertain about everything I've ever known.

Oh Merlin I needed help. My mind was going to scary places.

I was so busy being lost in my thoughts that I hadn't realized that Snape had started class.

"Miss. Miro," Snape drawled out, his bland and monotone voice breaking me from my thoughts. "The confines of your own mind must be _utterly fascinating_-" I don't think he could've put more sarcasm into those words if he tried. "-but I am trying to teach, and it would do you well to _pay attention_."

I started to stammer, trying to find usable words, because 'shut up you big git' and 'get your abnormally large nose out of my business' were _definitely_ not suitable.

"Excuse me, professor," I said through gritted teeth. "Sometimes I drift off when nothing of importance is happening." My words were vague enough to get away with, but this was Snape, and I knew there would be some kind of payment, even if it wasn't detention.

I heard Hermione gasp from beside me, obviously stunned at my blunt words, while Harry and Ron looked fairly amused and impressed. I knew I never really bluntly talked back to Snape, but my rational mind was deserted at this point.

Snape was glaring at me as if I had just blown up the classroom, insulted his family, and then stood up and danced on my desk. Which I did none of, and never saw myself doing ever.

_Well, the desk thing could be fun...wait, stop thinking and go back to the present._

"Well Ms. Miro," Snape finally began, his voice low and hushed. "You seem to have given us a prime example of what someone is like with the absence of a brain to mouth filter," He stopped and crossed his arms in a way that made him seem a bit more threatening. "Would you like to inform the class as to what you were thinking about?"

I paled very quickly. I was never a good liar, and I was worse under pressure.

The whole class turned to me, and I even saw Draco's head tilt; looking at me without actually blatantly looking at me.

"Well...you see..." I pathetically attempted at an explanation, but trailed off.

"No really Miro we're all waiting to hear what you have to say with bated breath," Snape pushed. "I for one would like to know what you think about in your head while you sit here and fail to meet even the basic standards of my class. I knew when I saw your OWL scores you wouldn't be capable of handling this workload, and I seem to be right. Now for the last time, what were you thinking of that was so important?"

"Dancing on desks," I mumbled at last, wanting nothing more than to dig a hold into the ground and hide in it. Snape didn't need to give me detention, humiliating me was worse, way worse.

And since I was already feeling upset, not that he knew, it was like kicking me while I was down.

Merlin, could I ever have luck on my side?

At my answer a few students in the class, namely Slytherins, snickered, but shut up rather quickly under Snape's glare.

He turned back to me, and I knew the torture wasn't over yet.

"Dancing on desks?" he repeated loudly, as if to clarify.

I didn't move or nod, I just stared down at my desk.

"Well, there you go," Snape said simply, as if it explained everything. "No filter."

And seconds later he swiftly turned away and continued the lesson, as if nothing had ever happened.

He humiliated me in front of the whole class, and _acted as if nothing even happened._

Usually I would've done the same. Snape never got to me too much, but with everything else I was feeling on top of this, I didn't know how long it would be until I crumbled.

* * *

Once class ended I rushed out of the room, not glancing at Snape because I didn't want to see his smug, self-satisfied expression.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione caught up with me out in the hallway.

"Don't listen to him," Ron said with disgust. "Snape's a git, you know that."

I nodded and shrugged at the same time, not wanting to go into this now.

I was done with my classes for the day – I had a break and then there was dinner.

"Christina, do you want to come to the Great Hall with us? Get a snack or something?" I heard Harry ask from beside me.

I shook my head, "No, no that's okay. You guys go on ahead, I'll meet you there if I change my mind," I said, but Ron and Harry looked apprehensive. "I'm fine, really. Go on," I assured them. After they tossed me another look, they whisked away down the hall. I turned to Hermione. "Do you want to come to the common room with me? I feel like just sitting and relaxing. Maybe take a nap or two?" I suggested. "Besides I'll be safe from Draco in there," I said the last part under my breath, and Hermione didn't seem to hear it.

She gave me an apologetic look, "Christina I have class, I'm sorry," She reached out and squeezed my arm. "After dinner we'll talk, alright?"

I only nodded stiffly. I didn't really want to talk about anything...I just wanted company until the mess of thoughts and emotions in my head died down and I was able to think clearly again.

"I'll see you later then," I murmured and backtracked down the hall towards the common room, leaving Hermione feeling guilty.

* * *

At least some luck was on my side today.

I had managed to get back to my common room with no interruptions or distractions, which was a very good thing.

The Gryffindor common room was almost empty; most people were probably in class. Although seated on the coach was one of the last people I expected to see, not because of who she was, but because I just hadn't spoken to her in a while.

"Ginny!" I exclaimed, a bit of surprise tinting my tone. "Don't you have class?"

Ginny turned her head to face me and smiled, "Nah, I have a free," She paused suddenly, and stared at my face. For a brief moment I thought that maybe I had gone bald or something, so I put up a hand to check.

Nope, still had my thin, straight, bland hair.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked after a few seconds.

I froze. Gee, was I _that_ obvious? "I'm fine," I assured her half-heartedly.

This only seemed to make her more suspicious, "Tell me what's going on and tell me _now_."

Her forceful tone was one I was used to, and she normally used it to get something she wanted. I sighed and relented, I was tired of fighting.

I mumbled through the story of what happened in D.A.D.A, skipping out on the parts about thinking of Draco.

Ginny was more amused than concerned by the time I finished. "You actually said that to him? Dancing on desks?"

I groaned, "Yes I _actually_ did. An _obliviate_ sounds perfect right now."

Ginny laughed once more before getting serious again. "But that wasn't what you were thinking, was it?"

To my surprise I found myself laughing. "_Actually_ it was...but before then I was thinking about something else."

Ginny crossed her arms slowly and just looked at me. I was expecting her to ask what I was thinking about but she didn't, she just stared at me.

"How's Malfoy?" Ginny finally asked, and I felt the air leave my lungs in a gasp.

"Uh...um...well..." I stuttered before finally closing my mouth. I was making a fool of myself for the hundredth time today it seemed.

"Oh sorry if I wasn't clear enough," Ginny shook her head and smiled slightly. "I mean are you both still shagging?"

If I thought I was breathless before, well now I was practically suffocating.

Ginny's expectant gaze didn't help matters, either.

"I...that is to say...we haven't...yet," I managed to get out, my cheeks going red. It wasn't the thought of shagging that made me embarrassed, though sometimes when conversations became too graphic I withdrew; it was the fact that we _hadn't_ yet...and that was the main reason we began our little tryst.

Ginny widened her eyes. "What?" she nearly shouted. "You haven't shagged yet?" I shook my head, avoiding her eyes. "Well then what the bloody hell are you doing with him?"

I bit my lip, feeling like I needed to defend myself. "It's not like we haven't actually done other things. And believe me, I want to. And it's come close sometimes, but we're always in alcoves or empty rooms and we never have enough time..." I mumbled an explanation.

"So all this time you weren't shagging?" Ginny clarified, in honest disbelief.

"Right," I nodded slowly.

We were both silent for a few moments.

"Christina, do you fancy Malfoy?" Ginny asked, and I closed my eyes.

_Yes yes yes yes but it's more than that...I just...I..._

"Christina, are you in love with him?" The tone of Ginny's voice made me look up at her immediately. It was a mixture of disbelief and apprehension.

I stared into her eyes, not knowing what answer to give, but I finally made up my mind. "Please don't make me answer that."

Ginny sucked in a deep breath and I braced myself for the shouting.

But none came.

Silence filled the room, and I glanced up at Ginny with apprehensive expectancy.

"When? How?" Ginny asked me quietly, a stark contrast to the voice I thought she'd have.

"I don't know," I shook my head, speaking honestly. "It just happened and I couldn't stop it. I tried, Merlin believe me I tried."

"And you were thinking about him before Snape caught you?" Ginny questioned again.

I sighed wearily, "Why do you want to know? Why aren't you just lecturing me? I know you want to."

Ginny shook her head, "I want to know how you feel...what you're thinking. Please, just explain to me?"

I didn't know what to say, what to explain. "I was thinking of Draco, yes," I began uncertainly. "I know he's got himself mixed up with the dark side, I know it. But his heart isn't in it, I know that too. He just thinks he has to be this way because he's in Slytherin, and his parents are biased, and he's a pureblood, and his father's a Death Eater and I can go on! But that isn't who he is," I paused. "Actually, yes that _is_ who he is. That's who he decides to _show_. But deep inside I know him. He's given me the chance to know him. But I...I just can't seem to get through to him, no matter what tactic I try. And I know that soon it will be too late, and he'll be too forgone. And it scares me."

"Does he scare you?" Ginny asked.

"No," I replied with no hesitation. But the next part was difficult to articulate. "But I'm scared of who he's becoming. I'm scared of who he is involved with. You know, Voldemort and his followers. Soon Draco is going to become one of them, if he hasn't already, and what will I do then? He's already changing. He's paler, more nervous, acting desperate and frankly unpredictable at times. I'm afraid of losing the real _him_, the decent piece of humanity he has tucked away."

"Is that all you're afraid of?"

I shook my head again. "I'm afraid of losing myself as well," I answered with complete honesty.

Now that I was vocalizing my hidden thoughts, I felt a huge weight off my shoulders. I had someone to talk to rather than just keep it bottled up.

I continued, "I'm caught between my heart's desires and my moral desires. How can I choose when and if the time came? I would be letting down someone either way," I paused and looked up at Ginny suddenly, anger and defensiveness clear on my face and in my tone, "I know, I _know_ that I will do whatever it takes to save the Wizarding World. Don't you ever doubt my conviction on that. Voldemort is public enemy number one, and nothing will stop me from helping to destroy him," I lost the anger when I saw the understanding look in Ginny's eyes. "I just know that whatever happens I'm going to lose a part of myself. But I want...I want to protect everyone...save everyone."

Ginny sighed. "Christina, you can't help everyone. You're not some kind of savior or crusader. You're a student, a girl, a witch. You play a small part in the bigger production. Saving everyone isn't your job, and if you keep that philosophy up you won't even be able to save yourself."

"But how do I help him? How?"

Ginny knew who I was talking about. "Some people don't want to be helped. You can't help those who don't want it, it's plain and simple."

"But he does," I said, wishing my voice held more conviction.

"Do you honestly believe that?"

I nodded after a few moments. "Yes, I do."

"Well then you've got some hard work ahead of you. I hope you know what you're doing," Ginny stood up then. "I think it's time for dinner."

I stood up as well. "Thanks for talking, Ginny. You really helped."

"Anything for you," Ginny gave me a small grin. "Oh and Christina? Maybe after you shag him once you'll realize that this could just be the built up tension."

I laughed, "I guess we'll see," I tried to tease, but my tone fell flat. I knew that wouldn't be the case. "Ginny...we're seeing each other. He's my...boyfriend." The word sounded funny in my mouth, but I held my conviction.

Ginny simply shrugged, "I assumed that was the case. And hey, I guess you could've done worse, he is pretty fit."

I laughed a real laugh this time, and without realizing I pulled Ginny in for a hug. "Merlin I needed that laugh, thanks."

Ginny hugged me back tightly. "But you know you could've done better. If you were looking for a boyfriend you should've told me! I know a bunch of decent guys who aren't arrogant Death Eaters in training."

I pulled away from the hug, "There's much more to him," I tried to explain.

"It's the hair, isn't it?" Ginny raised an eyebrow. "A very unusual color, but somehow it works on him."

I laughed again, "More than his hair!"

"Body, then? Ooh, I bet he has a bunch of toned muscles from playing Quidditch. And you know, those muscles definitely increase the stamina when he's shagging you senseless in the-"

"Ginny please, I can't take much more," I shook my head, trying to fight my wayward thoughts. It's not like any of that would happen soon, he was still pissed at me.

"Well then how about his smirk? I will admit, he does have his moments when he does one of them," Ginny admitted.

I went to protest again, but stopped, "Okay his smirk plays a _little_ part," I mumbled.

"Gotcha!" Ginny shouted as we walked towards the Great Hall.

"And his eyes, they're intense," I sighed dreamily.

Ginny rubbed her chin, "Wait Merlin you're right, they are a nice color. I'm beginning to see why you're so into him. I admit, if he wasn't a foul git and mini Death Eater I would be on top of that too. Literally and figura-"

"Okay, thanks for that," I said sarcastically, but had a smile on nonetheless.

"Do you know how he feels about you?" Ginny asked suddenly.

I froze, but hid my uncertainty quickly. "I'm his girlfriend...I'm guessing he feels _something_ for me?"

"Perhaps, but even if you're a guy's girlfriend, it's more of just a title to them, you know? There's no set in stone feelings or boundaries. Guys are weird like that."

I stared at Ginny curiously, "Tell me about it...and they say _we're_ complicated."

* * *

Dinner went by quickly and it was rather uneventful.

I mostly spent it pushing the food around my plate and thinking.

Ginny took the news better than I thought she would...but I knew that joking around was only her trying to assure me of myself and her best wishes, in a way. I knew she still had her doubts and suspicions. But the reaction she allowed me to see was more than I could've asked for.

If I told Hermione, Harry, or Ron on the other hand...things wouldn't go down so smoothly.

Luckily I didn't plan on telling them anything in the near future. Although I hated lying to my friends, I knew this was for _everyone's_ own good.

The Great Hall started to clear out, and Hermione, Ron, and Harry beckoned for me to get going, but I waved them away.

"I'll meet you in the common room after, I'm just going to finish eating," I said, and watched as they exited the Great Hall.

I did manage to clear my plate, though it took another fifteen minutes. By the time I was finished I was practically the only one left. The only other student there was a male Hufflepuff who looked to be asleep.

I stood up and exited the Great Hall. Turning the hall towards my common room, I walked right passed it and began wandering the halls. Curfew was in two hours, and I didn't feel like going back to the common room.

I knew that Draco would find me soon, I knew he'd be looking for the moment I was alone and 'grab-able', and so I was giving him a clear shot.

I was tired of waiting, tired of pushing off the inevitable. If he wanted answers from me, sure, fine, I'd give them to him. But only if I got answers right back.

* * *

Soon enough, I got my wish.

I was just passing by an empty hallway when a firm hand gripped my wrist and didn't let go.

"Malfoy," I murmured nonchalantly. "Fancy seeing you here."

Draco seemed a bit wary of my indifferent nature, but didn't let the uncertainty stay for long. "You've got a lot of explaining to do." Was all he said.

"Oh I do?" I let out a humorless chuckle. "You aren't here to lecture me too, are you? I think I got enough from Snape, wouldn't you say?"

"Well this is for something entirely different," Draco approached me slowly, and the closer he got the faster my heart rate spiked.

"Fine then. Have at it," I raised my hands, giving him the reigns.

Draco glared down at me, but pulled us further into the dark hallway when a couple students walked by. "Astronomy Tower. _Now_," he instructed – well, more like _ordered_.

I huffed but listened...I wanted to get my answers too.

Without looking at him or seeing what he would do, I turned and swiftly made my way up to the Astronomy Tower.

* * *

It was cold up here.

I wrapped my arms around myself, bracing against the chilly air.

I wasn't up here for a minute before Draco appeared on the top of the stairs. He continued forward towards me and at first I thought he was gonna push me off the tower, but he stopped once he got directly in front of me.

He was silent. He didn't speak.

I finally got fed up. "You wanna talk? Talk!" I goaded. "Come on, go ahead."

Draco snarled, "I want you to tell me what happened in Potions class." His voice was calm and controlled, surprising me.

"Oh, it wasn't obvious?" I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Goody, my cover isn't blown yet!"

Draco took another step forward. "Tell me."

I eyed him carefully. "You wanted the Felix Felices so badly. That was the first time I had ever seen you so excited about something that had to do with school. I knew something was up. And maybe I don't know personally what you're involved in, but I knew enough to know that I couldn't let you get the Felix Felices," I explained with no hesitation. "The liquid luck in your hands wouldn't have been such a good idea; you see where I'm going with this?"

"How much do you know?" Draco asked, his voice low and wary.

"Enough," I answered simply. "Not everything, but enough."

"Enough?" Draco repeated, coming even closer to me.

My heart stopped and then started again, faster than I think it had ever beat before. I felt afraid – not of him, but of the answers coming to light, the answers I could possibly receive. Things were going to change.

Draco noticed the fear flash in my eyes, but seemed to think it was for a whole other reason.

He stepped back quickly, one full step.

The action caught me off guard and I jumped slightly.

"Are you...afraid?" Draco asked quietly.

I looked at him in confusion, "Huh? No?"

Draco was not convinced. "Are you scared of me?"

Now I was really confused. "Draco I told you before, I'm not scared of you."

But Draco wasn't listening to my words, he was thinking over and over of the flash of fear he saw in my eyes. And no matter what was going on now, he hated seeing that.

"I wasn't going to hurt you. I wasn't," Draco said emphatically, gazing into my eyes.

Seriously, I was more confused than I had ever been in my life. "Draco I know that! What's the matter with you?" I tried to take a step towards him, but he stepped away quickly. "Draco!"

"I was so mad at you, am still so mad at you...you have no idea what you're meddling into. But not that mad, I promise," Draco seemed desperate for me to understand something that I honestly couldn't bloody understand.

I laughed, loudly. That was my only reaction to this. "Draco, you are confusing me beyond bloody belief," I snorted between chuckles.

Draco was the one confused now. "Before, I saw the fear in your eyes..."

Then it dawned on me. "Oh!" I gasped, putting a hand over my mouth. I went to reach for him, but he still pulled away. I knew I had to say my peace. "Draco," I began, shaking my head. "I'm not scared of you," I tossed him a smug grin. "I'll never be scared of you, can't change that. But I _am_ scared of something. I'm scared of what you're becoming, what you're getting yourself into. I know that you feel like you have a reputation and legacy to maintain, but at what cost? Is it really worth it? If I know you at all, if I know your heart, I know this isn't what you want."

"You don't know-" Draco began, but I cut him off.

"Stop, don't try to protest or play a character in front of me. I don't need that, and I don't appreciate that. I want honesty, and I want you to _listen_," I gave him a glare and he reluctantly shut his mouth. I continued, "You drive me mad, Draco. You are capable of so much, and you're throwing all your potential away. For what? Someone like Voldemort? Do you think the Wizarding World needs someone like him? I know you have your beliefs, and I know they were ingrained into you all your life. I'm not asking you to completely give them up and go cold turkey. You have your morals, I get that. And I have mine. I wouldn't let you ask me to give mine up, so I'm not going to ask you. The question I will ask is, would it really be worth it in the end? Have you thought about the greater good? Or have you really been thinking at all?" I paused and took a step closer to him.

While gazing into his eyes, filled with unreadable emotions, I took a hold of his left wrist. He fought against my hold weakly, but I was able to keep it firmly in my grasp. "If I lifted up your sleeve, what would I find?" I asked, and began tracing up and down the material on his wrist.

It didn't feel different, and I briefly wondered if I would be able to _feel_ the Dark Mark.

I chuckled quietly, "I almost don't want to look. I don't want to know. But...I have to know." I began to trace down his wrist until I reached the end of his sleeve. I started to push up and was surprised when Draco didn't stop me.

I looked up and met his eyes. He seemed resigned and weary, but he still held my gaze. "You can look," he finally whispered breathlessly. "I won't stop you."

I bit my lip, feeling my eyes burning with unshed tears. "Stop me...please stop me." I continued to pull his sleeve up, but I wasn't making much progress.

"Christina..." Draco said, and that was it. I released his arm and grabbed his shoulders almost violently.

"Tell me!" I demanded, my face pressed into his chest. "Tell me it isn't there! Bloody hell Draco _tell me_!" I shouted over and over. "TELL ME!"

"I can't...I can't...look for yourself...look..." Draco continued to whisper into my ear.

I shook my head against his chest, "No, I can't. I can't. Not yet. Not now. Maybe not ever. Please, let's stop this tonight. No more."

Draco heaved in a breath. "Okay Christina," he finally said.

After a few moments I peered up at him slowly. "You know why I can't look, don't you?" I asked, my voice strong although my composure wasn't.

Draco nodded. "I know..." he began, and then sighed as if he was winded. "It's the same reason I was willing to show you."

* * *

**Draco's POV**

I watched as the students walked in the halls, but none of them was who I was looking for currently. No...this certain girl had a special place in my heart – and on my nerves. She went by the name of Christina Miro.

I swear to Merlin, that girl really knew how to drive a mate bonkers.

She didn't go into her common room, I saw, and I knew she was walking around, perhaps waiting for me to snatch her up. I really needed to talk with her.

Well, talk was an understatement. Yell? Maybe. Interrogate? Getting closer.

The stunt she pulled in Potions was maddening. So maddening it actually made me mad. Usually her attempts to act mad and annoying were rather alluring, and dare I say cute, but I would never tell her that and you'd never get me to admit it.

So instead of being turned on, here I was...angry and looking for some answers.

From the corner of my eye I noticed a female student walking by, very slowly, as if looking for someone. She looked to be Christina's build and height, so I took my chances and reached out for her. If it wasn't her...then I would have to throw out an excuse.

Luckily when I got a good look at her face, I saw Christina's familiar features. Beautiful features...okay now I was getting off the point.

"Malfoy? Fancy seeing you here," Christina said in her sarcastic voice which _really_ got on my nerves.

I paused for a second, though. From the looks she gave me today, I would've thought she'd be more nervous. But it didn't matter. "You've got a lot of explaining to do," I informed her sternly.

Christina seemed almost darkly amused. "Oh do I?" she asked. "You aren't here to lecture me too, are you? I think I got enough from Snape, wouldn't you say?"

I thought back to D.A.D.A. Yes, she did get quite the lecture. Not totally undeserved, but I digress. "Well this is for something entirely different," I explained to her, not really caring about Snape or anything of the sort. I just needed my answers. I walked towards her slowly, and I could see her gulp.

Usually by now I would've just grabbed her and kissed her hard, or she would've grabbed me, but this was an entirely different circumstance. The thought was not unwelcome or ruled out of the question, though. Merlin, the feel of her lips against mine..._that_ was enough to get me going. Even thinking about it did, my slowly growing erection proof enough.

I tried to clear my thoughts and channel the anger. Yes, angry good. Horny bad.

"Fine then. Have at it!"

I tuned back into the conversation in time to hear her snap at me. With my anger channeled I advanced on her, but stopped when I saw more students walk down the hallway. I knew we needed to get out of the open to have a proper talk. Or fight. Either would work for me. "Astronomy Tower. _Now_," I ordered, not caring if she didn't like to be bossed around. Now wasn't the time for that.

Christina must've agreed because she turned and left without another word...well okay, I could slightly hear the unflattering string of words she was muttering under her breath as she walked away. Very colorful indeed. And amusing, though I tried to hide it.

I followed after her moments later.

* * *

The winter air hit me as I entered the Astronomy Tower.

I saw Christina standing there, looking in my general direction but not actually at me.

That was good. If we made eye contact for longer than five seconds I may just lose all of my inhibitions and got at it with her right here.

I marched towards her quickly, not slowing or stopping until I stood directly in front of her. She glanced up at me and I was guessing she expected me to talk first...but I was too caught up in her face, her eyes.

She was beautiful, especially under tonight's moon. I don't think I told her that enough, but why should she want to hear something she already knows? Or should know?

Christina seemed fed up with my silence. "You wanna talk? Talk? Come on, go ahead," she pushed.

I fought back a grimace. Here I was thinking of her in all her beauty...that was _not_ what this was about. "I want you to tell me what happened in Potions class," I spoke calmly, not giving away any emotion I was or was not feeling.

Christina got that sarcastic look on her face again and I braced myself for the outburst. "Oh, it wasn't obvious? Goody, my cover isn't blown yet!" she shouted.

I took a step forward, not in the mood for her sarcasm. "Tell me," I demanded.

And tell me she did. I was surprised at how easily she managed to part with the information, but it didn't seem like a big secret. So I listened until she finished her explanation.

I grew more nervous towards the end. How much did she know? I managed to voice my question out loud.

Christina's answer was a simple 'enough'.

My anger was boiling, and so were my nerves. She couldn't know everything, could she? That wouldn't be good...for anyone. I needed to make sure. That's what I needed. I stepped forward again. "Enough?" I repeated, my voice low and grave.

And in that split second everything changed.

I saw fear pass through Christina's eyes, true fear. I looked down at my body, and how close I was to her, how threatening I looked.

_Oh no. No no no no...she thinks I'm going to hurt her. How could she even think that?_

I threw myself backwards quickly, almost falling over.

_I wasn't going to hurt her...never...never..._

"Are you afraid?" I asked, my voice shaking. I hated how weak I sounded, but I needed to know the truth.

Confusion flashed across Christina's face. "Huh? No?" she replied, but I was barely listening.

_Is she lying? Is she trying to appease me?_

"Are you scared of me?" I tried again.

More confusion showed on Christina's face. "Draco I told you before, I'm not scared of you."

My mind kept picturing the fear in her eyes...the fear of _me_.

It was my turn to be confused.

Isn't this what I wanted? I wanted people to be afraid of me. I wanted power and authority. I wanted people to look at me and know that I held supremacy. People should fear me...I'm a bloody Death Eater! And with my father being who he is...I should be feared!

I shook my head, scattering all the thoughts until one came through.

Not Christina.

Christina shouldn't be afraid of me, ever. I never want that. The thought alone filled me with dread. She was my girlfriend! I lov – care about her. I care about her. A great deal. Very much...you _could_ call it...

I broke out of my thoughts. I needed her to understand. "I wasn't going to hurt you. I wasn't," I said desperately.

Christina looked at me like my hair had suddenly turned long and black. "Draco I know that! What's the matter with you?" She reached out towards me and out of instinct I jumped back, not allowing her to successfully touch me. "Draco!" she shouted in frustration.

I needed to make her _understand_. "I was so mad at you, am still so mad at you...you have no idea what you're meddling into. But not that mad, I promise," I said with all the sincerity I had in me.

And then she laughed. She actually laughed.

"Draco, you are confusing me beyond bloody belief," she told me, still laughing.

I was a bit confused now. "Before, I saw the fear in your eyes..." I trailed off and watched as a knowing look spread across her face.

"Oh!" she gasped, and went to reach for me.

I moved out of the way quickly. She couldn't touch me, not yet.

"Draco," Christina began, shaking her head. "I'm not scared of you. I'll never be scared of you, can't change that. But I _am_ scared of something. I'm scared of what you're becoming, what you're getting yourself into. I know that you feel like you have a reputation and legacy to maintain, but at what cost? Is it really worth it? If I know you at all, if I know your heart, I know this isn't what you want."

For the sake of my pride, I knew I had to defend myself. She didn't know half of what was going on, and I intended on telling her that, but she cut me off.

I listened to her rant on and on, until she finally stopped.

But I nearly went into heart failure when I felt her strong hand grab for my left wrist.

Out of habit I attempted to pull it away, but it was a half-hearted attempt and soon she was bringing it up in between us. I tried to wipe any emotion off my face, but I felt many things. Fear, anger, anxiety, sadness...

"If I lifted up your sleeve, what would I find?" she asked me quietly before tracing up and down the material covering my wrist. "I almost don't want to look. I don't want to know. But...I have to know."

This was it...I couldn't hide it anymore. I couldn't live with the secrecy, and the shame. The shame was what surprised me, and I never felt it unless Christina was around. Before I was actually okay with the Dark Mark. Not proud, but not unhappy.

But now...with Christina. I was actually starting to regret it. A part of me wished I could use a time turner and change the past, but I couldn't. And now I had to face the consequences.

Well, the time has come.

"You can look," I finally whispered, all the fight leaving me. The only thing that remained was hopelessness. "I won't stop you," I told her.

She started to pull up my sleeve uncertainly, and I just waited pitifully. "Stop me...please stop me," she started to say, but I wouldn't. Merlin, did I wish I could...but no, I wasn't going to.

"Christina..." I trailed off; trying to put everything I didn't want to show on my face into her name. Maybe she would understand.

Well she understood _something_, because she practically threw my arm down and gripped onto my shoulders for dear life, pushing her face into my chest.

"Tell me!" she ordered, her voice muffled. I wrapped my arms around her tightly. I wasn't going to tell her. She would have to look herself. "Tell me it isn't there! Bloody hell Draco tell me!" she kept shouting. "TELL ME!"

"I can't...I can't...look for yourself...look..." I whispered, shaking my head.

"No, I can't. I can't. Not yet. Not now. Maybe not ever. Please, let's stop this tonight. No more," Christina was pleading against my chest, and a jolt of hope sprung into my heart.

"Okay Christina," I replied softly, trying to console her in any way I could. I was still unused to having to see her in this way, but I pushed the awkwardness away and just _acted_.

After a few moments she lifted her head and peered up at me. "You know why I can't look, don't you?" she asked.

I closed my eyes, knowing the answer in my heart. Yes, I knew why. Yes, I felt it too. I felt it.

"I know..." I began, and then sighed loudly, releasing every pent up emotion from my body. "It's the same reason I was willing to show you."

* * *

**A/N: MERLIN'S BEARD. Okay that was really intense, I'm a bit winded from writing that. But now you see their relationship is going to change. Very much so. They're going to be closer, in more ways than one (; But in all seriousness, this was an extremely important chapter, and one of the longest ones. I hope you all enjoyed and will review. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it means a lot. Shout outs will be in the next update!**

**Anyway for the question, I got many answers. It's fun to see what you guys will reply with and your answers. Now for me, my favorite book is Order of the Phoenix, even though IT IS TRAGIC. And my favorite movie is Prisoner of Azkaban. I really liked it. I mean, I like them all, but I really liked that one.**

**Okay next question! Hmmm...what Hogwarts' subject do you think you'd be best at and why? Quidditch counts too! R&R! :D**

**Also important: Some have asked me how long this is going to be...I don't really have a set schedule but I think I may go up to the end of Half Blood Prince, and then perhaps ****do a sequel if it's wanted? Actually...I think I will d****o a sequel. Any thoughts?**


	45. Inception

**Disclaimer: Let me write you a haiku. **

**Own Harry Potter?**

**I don't you all are crazy**

**I wish I did though**

**Also, some lines in this chapter are from Chamber of Secrets (movie)**

* * *

It had been a week since I confronted Draco on the Astronomy Tower, and while we hadn't had a major spar since then, I was feeling rather unsettled.

To be fair, it wasn't just because I was worrying about Draco.

I was also worrying about school, and Quidditch...oh and the nearing war, let's not forget that.

So yeah, for all of the above reasons, I was pretty stressed. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if I started growing gray hair soon.

Honestly the only things, or should I say people, holding me together were my friends. Harry, Ron, and Hermione always made me feel comfortable and like things would be okay.

Well, that was until we got onto the topic of Voldemort and Death Eaters. Then the stress came back.

But other than that my three best friends were the glue holding me together.

Luna, Ginny, and Neville also helped. I could go to them and talk about anything, but Voldemort _never_ came up.

And surprisingly...there was Draco.

You see, if someone told me a couple years ago that I would get so comfortable talking and being around Draco that it became like a natural habit, I would've laughed and laughed and laughed and _laughed_. And then I would've told them that if they wanted to talk rubbish they should go sit in the bin.

But what I thought was impossible has actually happened. I'm comfortable around Draco. I actually like talking to him – when we aren't yelling and fighting and occasionally dueling but...I must admit, sometimes our fights do heat up in more ways than one. So I can't say it's _all_ bad.

But getting me to admit it's a turn on just won't happen.

No.

Never.

...okay it's a slight turn on.

But in all honesty we don't fight as much as we used to. I like to say that we've found a delicate balance. We know what topics are off limits, and don't go to those areas unless we're trying to provoke each other.

And while I admit, that is often, things are actually going really well.

...that's if you forget the fact that Draco and his parents are pureblood supremacists and his father is a Death Eater and Draco may or may not be one too.

_But_ like I said, forgetting is the best and happiest option.

It's quite a novelty, though, just sitting snuggled up next to Draco and talking about anything and everything. And I literally mean anything and everything.

I thought back to our last encounter...

* * *

_We were up on the Astronomy Tower, and I was gazing out at the stars while Draco was sitting up against the far right wall under a large wool blanket._

_"Christina, love, come sit down...I'm getting cold," Draco purred._

_I turned to face him with a raised eyebrow. "Aren't you the one under the blanket? And – wait, what did you call me?" Draco had never given me a term of endearment before, unless 'dear Christina' or 'dear Gryffindor' counted. And usually they were being used with sarcasm. If I was being honest, though, I quite liked the new pet name._

_"I called you love," Draco responded with no hesitation. "Don't you like it, love?"_

_I slowly sauntered over to him until I kneeled down slowly, directly in front of him, "I could get used to it," I smiled._

_Draco suddenly reached out and pulled me onto him. After a bit of shuffling he managed to get us both under the blanket. "Oh you can get used to it, can you? Would you prefer baby?"_

_Draco voice sent tingles up my spine. I pursed my lips, "Ooh yeah, I quite like that."_

_"Well, isn't that great?" Draco's voice was muffled as he has his lips pressed against my head. "So how was your day, baby?"_

_I fought the urge to giggle, but I did snuggle closer into him. "Interesting. I went down to Hagrid's before with Harry, Ron, and Hermione," I explained._

_I heard Draco snort. "That oaf? What did he have to say?"_

_Pulling my head back from under his chin, I glared up at him, very serious. "Draco, don't talk about Hagrid like that. Just don't," I warned._

_I could tell that Draco wanted to retort, but he held his tongue. He didn't apologize though. "Fine, whatever. What did Hagrid have to say?" he asked with false sweetness._

_It was the best I'd get from him, so I took it. I leaned back into his arms. "He's got a pet acromantula who-"_

_"Acromantula?" Draco spluttered out, and I could hear the disbelief in his voice. "The oaf – I mean, Hagrid has a pet acromantula?" he asked, startled._

_I nodded. "For a while now, actually. His name is Aragog and he lives in the Forbidden Forest. He's sick though, close to death from what Hagrid's been saying. We were there to cheer him up," I explained, sounding nonchalant._

_The fact that Hagrid had an acromantula wasn't a big deal to me, since I'd known since second year. It was also because I knew Hagrid and I knew what kind of creatures he liked to keep as pets. Usually ones who aren't supposed to be kept as pets. But to someone who didn't know Hagrid, this information would be a bit of a shock._

_"An acromantula?" Draco repeated again, not really grasping the information._

_I let out a small chuckle, "Yes, an acromantula."_

_"And this doesn't surprise you?"_

_From the tone of Draco's voice I could tell that he was looking down at me._

_"No, not at all. I mean – it did at first. I was in second year when I found out," I clarified._

_I could still tell that Draco was staring at me in awe._

_"How? he finally asked._

_Another chuckled slipped passed my lips. "What is this, story time?"_

_Draco was quiet for a few moments. "I would like to know more about you," he said after the pause._

_I blinked a couple times. "You know a lot about me. Our families have been acquaintances for-"_

_"I don't know enough. And none of the important things. So go on, tell me a story." He now seemed to be amused._

_I smirked, "Okay I will. But after I'm done you have to tell me a story about you!" I bargained. _

_Draco pondered for a couple seconds. "Alright love, you're on."_

_Laughing, I settled comfortably in his arms and got ready to begin my story._

_"So it was second year..."_

* * *

**_1993 - Second Year_**

_I couldn't believe it...Hermione was petrified! _

_Leaving her bedside was one of the hardest things I ever had to do, but all students had to be in their common room._

_Everyone was sitting in the Gryffindor common room._

_Harry, Ron, and I, but also Oliver Wood, Lee Jordan, and practically all of the Gryffindor class._

_McGonagall, the head of the Gryffindor House, suddenly walked into the common room in a flash._

_"Can I have your attention please?" she asked, but it really wasn't a question. McGonagall was the type of woman who demanded respect without even having to ask, and if you knew what was good for you, you'd give it to her._

_All the Gryffindors got quiet and turned to her._

_She continued, "Because of recent events these new rules will be put into effect immediately," She cleared her throat. "All students will return to their house common rooms by 6 o'clock every evening. All students will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher," Another pause. "No exceptions," she said with finality. "I should tell you this – unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught...it is likely the school will be closed." McGonagall had a pained look on her face, and I knew how hard those words were to speak._

_It seemed like everyone had grown deathly quiet, even after McGonagall left._

_Harry whipped back to face Ron and I. "We have to talk to Hagrid," he explained quietly. "I can't believe it's him, but if he did set the monster loose the last time, he'll know how to get inside the Chamber of Secrets...that's a start."_

_"But you heard McGonagall," Ron protested. "We're not allowed to leave the tower except for class!"_

_"There's no way we'd be able to leave without being spotted," I added uneasily._

_Harry paused and looked at us intently. "I think it's time to get out my dad's old cloak again."_

* * *

_Harry, Ron, and I squeezed together under the cloak. It was a tight fit, but not unbearable. It was usually when the four of us needed to fit under it the problems occurred._

_We traveled in almost pitch darkness through the field until we reached Hagrid's Hut. Harry lifted his arm and knocked twice on the large wooden door._

_"Who's there?"_

_We heard Hagrid's wary and dangerous voice muffled behind the door._

_Harry knocked again._

_Moments later the door was slammed open and we had to jump back._

_Hagrid stood at the entrance, looking taller than ever and pointing a hefty crossbow in front of him. "Hello?" he asked, looking around cautiously. "Hello!" he questioned again, louder._

_Without waiting another moment, Harry slipped the invisibility cloak off of us._

_Hagrid looked visibly relieved as he lowered the crossbow and sagged his shoulders._

_"What's that for?" Harry asked incredulously, still looking at the crossbow._

_Hagrid looked almost sheepish. "Oh nothing. I-I was expecting...uh...it doesn't matter! Come on in, I just made a pot of tea." Hagrid moved back into his hut and beckoned for us to follow._

_Harry, Ron, and I looked at each other curiously before following him._

_Hagrid lifted the pot of tea and started to pour it into glasses. But his hands were shaking badly and he didn't seem to notice that he was overflowing the cups._

_"Hagrid," Harry began, staring at him with concern. "Are you okay?"_

_"I'm fine," Hagrid replied quickly, but he certainly didn't seem fine. "I'm alright." He didn't look alright either._

_"Did you hear about Hermione?" Harry asked carefully._

_Hagrid sighed, "Oh yeah...I heard about that alright."_

_Harry paused before talking again, "Look, we have to ask you something," he said, and then turned to look at Ron and I. Ron shrugged helplessly and I just bit my lip. I had no clue what to say either. But Harry just went for it. "Do you know who's opened the Chamber of Secrets?"_

_Hagrid took in a sharp intake of breath and closed his eyes briefly. "What you have to understand about that is-"_

_Before Hagrid could continue, the sound of loud knocking at the door filled the hut._

_Fangs started barking and Hagrid's face grew ashen. "Quick," he instructed in a hushed voice. "Get under the cloak. Don't say a word – be quiet, all three of you."_

_Following his instructions, we all raced to the side of the hut and threw the invisibility cloak over us. We waited and watched as Hagrid again lifted his crossbow and opened the door._

_"Oh," We heard Hagrid say with surprise. "Professor Dumbledore, sir."_

_"Good evening, Hagrid," Dumbledore's familiar voice floated through the hut. "I wonder – could we?" He indicated inside the hut._

_"Oh yes, of course," Hagrid nodded, and moved aside._

_Once he was out of the way we saw Dumbledore enter the hut, and behind him was another man._

_Ron drew in a silent breath. "That's dad's boss. Cornelius Fudge," he whispered. "The Minister of Magic."_

_"Bad business Hagrid, very bad business," Fudge began gravely. "I had to come...three attacks on muggleborns, this has gone far enough. The Ministry has to act."_

_"But I've never," Hagrid started to stammer. "Well you know I've never, Professor."_

_Dumbledore turned to Fudge. "I want it understood, Cornelius, that Hagrid has my full confidence."_

_Fudge didn't look convinced. "Albus – look. Hagrid's record is against him. I've got to take him."_

_"Take me?" Hagrid asked incredulously. "Take me where? Not Azkaban Prison!"_

_Fudge sighed, "I'm afraid we have no choice."_

_Before anyone else could speak, the door swung open again._

_"Already here, Fudge?" Lucius Malfoy spoke. "Good."_

_"What are you doing here?" Hagrid asked, outraged. "Get out of my house!"_

_"Believe me," Lucius began, walking further into the hut. "I take absolutely no pleasure being inside your..." he paused, and started to slowly approach where we were standing. We took three quick steps backwards. "You call this a house?" Lucius made a small disapproving sound. "No, I was told that the Headmaster was here."_

_"And what exactly is it that you want with me?" Dumbledore asked._

_"The other governors and I decided it's time for you to step aside," Lucius held out a piece of paper. "This is an Order of Suspension. You'll find all twelve signatures on it," He handed it to Dumbledore. "I'm afraid we feel you've rather lost your touch. And what with all these attacks...there will be no muggleborns left at Hogwarts, and I can only imagine what an awful loss that would be to the school."_

_"You can't take Professor Dumbledore away," Hagrid said emphatically. "Take him away and the muggleborns won't stand a chance! You mark my words, there will be killings next!"_

_"You think so?" Lucius asked coldly._

_"Calm yourself, Hagrid," Dumbledore instructed. "If the governors desire my removal I will of course step aside. However..." Dumbledore began, slowly stepping forward. "You will find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."_

_I held in a gasp as Dumbledore practically stared straight at us. Did he know we were there?_

_Lucius looked around with slight confusion. "Admirable sentiments...shall we?" Lucius exited the hut quickly after that, followed by Dumbledore, who seemed to give us one last look. "Fudge," Lucius beckoned._

_Fudge looked to Hagrid. "Come Hagrid. Well?"_

_Hagrid cleared his throat. "If anybody was looking for some stuff, then all they'd have to do would be to follow the spiders. Yup, that'll lead them right. That's all I have to say," Hagrid nodded. "Oh and someone will need to feed Fang while I'm away." Hagrid then left his hut, followed by a confused looking Fudge._

_Once they were all gone, the three of us pulled off the cloak._

_"Hagrid's right," Ron spoke first. "With Dumbledore gone, there will be an attack a day!"_

_"I hate to say it, but it's true," I agreed._

_Harry was about to respond when something behind us caught his eye. "Look," he said, walking passed us._

_We followed Harry where he stood by the window. Crawling up and down the wall were lots of spiders, little ones and medium sized ones too. Ron visibly flinched._

_"Come on," Harry said, grabbing a lantern from the hut before exiting swiftly. Ron and I followed him, not sure where he was going. "Come on Fang!"_

_We all left the hut and stopped when we were a few feet away. Harry looked at the window again and saw that there were more spiders on the outside wall, all heading away from the hut and towards the Forbidden Forest._

_"Come on!" Harry commanded again._

_This time, Ron had something to say, albeit weakly. "What?"_

_"You heard what Hagrid said. 'Follow the spiders'!" Harry said._

_"But they're heading into the Dark Forest!" I said meekly._

_Harry gave a sigh before leading the way. I followed, but I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Ron was last, and I could hear him complaining shrilly._

_"Why spiders?" he asked out loud. "Why couldn't it be follow the butterflies?"_

_With Fang at our tail, we entered the Forbidden Forest._

_Ten minutes later we were still following the spiders, though nothing of interest had shown itself yet._

_"I don't like this," Ron shrieked for the hundredth time, it seemed. "I don't like this at all!"_

_"Shush!" Harry quieted him quickly, scanning a pathway that was covered in spiders._

_"Can we go back now?" Ron asked, looking around in fear._

_"Yeah...I'm all for adventures, but this is a bit much for a night's worth, don't you think?" I asked, trying to sound braver than I was at the moment._

_But Harry wasn't going to be easily swayed. "Come on!"_

_Reluctantly Ron and I followed him into the pathway._

_Once we cleared the short tunnel, we stepped out into a wide open forest area, thick with fog and spider webs._

_Up ahead, where all the spiders seemed to flock, we heard a sudden noise._

_"Who is it?"_

_A deep, loud voice moaned, and it felt like the noise was surrounding us._

_Ron was starting to shake, and Harry had to physically put a hand on his arm. "Don't panic," he instructed quietly._

_"Hagrid? Is that you?" The deep voice called out again._

_"We're friends of Hagrid!" Harry responded loudly._

_More noise filled the area, and we suddenly saw a mass moving up head, and then legs began to appear, one by one, until a humungous acromantula stood in front of us._

_The three of us were stunned, but only Harry found his voice to speak. "You...you're Aragog, aren't you?" he asked._

_"Yes," Aragog almost whispered. "Hagrid has never sent others into our home before."_

_"He's in trouble," Harry quickly informed. "Up at the school there have been attacks. They think it's Hagrid. They think he opened the Chamber of Secrets. Like before."_

_"That's a lie!" Aragog said vehemently. "Hagrid never opened the Chamber of Secrets."_

_"Then you're not the monster?" Harry half asked, half stated._

_"No, the monster was born in the castle. I came to Hagrid from a distant land. In the pocket of a traveler," Aragog answered._

_Ron pulled Harry's sleeve, "Harry!" he whispered fearfully._

_"Shush," Harry quieted him again, and Ron turned to me and grabbed onto my arm. "But if you're not the monster then...what did kill that girl fifty years ago?"_

_"We do not speak of it. It is an ancient creature we spiders fear above all others."_

_"But have you seen it?" Harry asked._

_"I never saw any part of the castle but the box in which Hagrid kept me. The girl was discovered in a bathroom. When I was accused, Hagrid brought me here," Aragog said._

_Ron was getting really scared now. "Harry!" he whispered harshly, tugging on Harry's sleeve again._

_This time Harry gave in. "What?" he asked._

_Ron didn't answer; all he did was whimper and point upwards._

_Harry and I both glanced up, looking in all directions._

_Surrounding us, all around, were spiders. Not Aragog's size, but getting up there. Some were hanging down from webs while others were slowly making their way closer towards us on the ground._

_I felt my heart rate spike faster than it was already going. I knew this was a bad idea._

_Harry also seemed to realize this. "Well. Thank you. We'll just...go..."_

_We all started to slowly back up._

_"Go?" Aragog repeated. "I think not. My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid on my command, but I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly into our midst. Goodbye...friends of Hagrid..."_

_The spiders were slowly closing in on us, and I couldn't help but scream when one landed roughly right in front of me._

_"Can we panic now?" Ron asked in a high voice, I think higher than mine could've gone._

_See, now if we were in one of those muggle movies, this would be the time the scary action music would start to play._

_Another spider landed in front of Harry and he quickly hit at it with his lantern. He did the same to the spider advancing on Ron._

_I pulled both boys next to me so we were all back to back, having eyes in every direction._

_We pulled out our wands desperately._

_"Know any spells?" Ron asked._

_"One," Harry replied nervously._

_"Same!" I added._

_"But it's not powerful enough for all of them!" Harry groaned._

_"Where's Hermione when you need her?" Ron questioned._

_We were closed in, the spiders had formed a circle around us and were inching up quickly – they weren't even two feet away now._

_Then, something amazing happened._

_Up in the distance I could make out two...headlights?_

_The Weasley's Ford Anglia drove roughly into the space, knocking away and crushing some spiders. The remaining spider's quickly cleared the area in suspected shock, and the Ford Anglia's doors flew open._

_Without having to be told twice, the three of us and Fang rushed into the car. Ron got into the driver's side and Harry took the passenger's while Fang and I jumped in the back._

_"Go!" Harry shouted once everyone was in the car and the spiders started to advance again._

_Ron put the car in reverse and backed up as quickly as the car could go. Spiders were attaching themselves to the hood of the car, and some even managed to smash into the back windshield as we backed up. I shouted when some of the glass cracked._

_We reversed up a steep incline, and then suddenly I felt nothing. We were in the air. I knew a crash was going to come._

_The three of us shouted as we descended towards the ground, and our shouts grew choppy as we landed, all thrown around in our seats._

_Everyone and everything was silent as we tried to regain our breathing._

_"Glad we're out of there!" Ron finally spoke for all of us._

_But I guess he spoke too soon as a rather large spider slammed into his window and wrapped one of its legs around Ron. Harry jumped back in shock and I shouted again._

_Ron was shouting the loudest though. "Ah! Harry!"_

_Harry pulled out his wand and tried to aim it at the spider. "Arania Exumai!"_

_The spider blasted back and off Ron in a flash of blue light._

_"Thanks for that," Ron said, grabbing at his throat._

_"Don't mention it," Harry replied._

_Before any of us could relax further, we looked out into the distance and saw...more spiders. Lots of them, rushing at us at high speeds. _

_"Get us out of here," Harry instructed quickly._

_"Now!" I shouted, bringing Ron out of his shock. He stepped on the pedal all the way and started to maneuver the car away._

_"Come on! Come on move faster!" Harry and I continued to yell as we watched the spiders advancing quickly._

_Ron was driving like a madman, trying to avoid the trees and other obstacles as we tried to get out of the Forbidden Forest._

_The car was moving as quickly as it could, but the spiders still seemed to be getting closer. There was no way we'd be able to outdrive them._

_"Get us in the air!" Harry shouted._

_Ron reached forward and started to pull a bunch of levers and press some buttons. He stopped above one lever. "It's jammed!" he yelled._

_"Come on! Move!" I screamed as I felt the spiders latch onto the back of the car._

_"I'm trying!" Ron replied, still trying to pull the lever. Harry started to help._

_We all were shouting now as the spiders were coming from in front of us and we continuously crashed into them._

_Mercifully, the lever released, and the car jolted a couple times before shooting off into the air._

_All the spiders were thrown off the car and we cleared the trees, heading into the dark night. We soared above the forest but no one breathed a relieved sigh – we weren't out of the trouble yet._

_Finally I saw Hagrid's Hut, and we descended towards the ground. Now I let out a breath...we were okay._

_The landing was bumpy, and we were tossed around again, but a couple cuts and bruises were nothing as long as we were safe and alive._

_Once the car stopped, the three of us tumbled out, trying to stand on shaky legs._

_"Follow the spiders!" Ron shouted loudly, now able to yell without being in fear. "Follow the spiders! If Hagrid ever gets out of Azkaban, I'll kill him!"_

___"I second that," I input weakly, holding onto Harry for support. "I think...I'm gonna...lay down for a bit..."_

* * *

_**1997 - Present**_

_"...and that was one of my second year adventures," I finished my story, looking up at Draco cheekily._

_Draco blew out a breath. "One of them?" he questioned._

_I nodded, "Oh yes. There was also that time where-"_

_Draco held up a hand, stopping me. "You know, I think I'm alright with the stories for now. That was a bit...much."_

_I couldn't help but laugh. "You gotta face it, Draco. Your girlfriend is crazy."_

_Draco sighed, "Trust me, I realized that long before."_

_I wanted to be annoyed, but I could only chuckle and snuggle into him further. "Now it's your turn," I reminded him._

_He raised an eyebrow. "My turn, is it? Hm, well, is there anything you're interested in hearing about?"_

_I instinctively raised a finger to my chin in contemplation. "Let me think about this...ooh, what was it like to be a ferret?"_

_Draco snarled and turned his head away. "Real nice, Miro," he spat out._

_I couldn't hold in my laughter though I tried, believe me. "Aw Draco, I'm sorry," Draco still wouldn't look at me and I felt his body tense. "Draco please I'm sorry..." I paused. "Was it itchy?"_

_"That's it," Draco threw up his arms and started to try and get up._

_I flattened myself against him, preventing that. "No, Draco stop I'm sorry. I'll be serious!" I promised, but he still tried to get up. "I'll be serious now!" I tried again, and Draco seemed to give up the fight as he sagged back down and sighed. "Okay, for real now..." I trailed off; putting my arms around his neck and pulling his head back against mine for good measure. "Tell me about the first time you were ever afraid."_

_Draco froze against me, "Afraid?" he repeated, clarifying my request._

_"Yeah," I nodded, but then looked at him sharply. "And I don't mean a little afraid, like you were scared at the time but you knew it would be okay. I mean like, really scared, more than you ever were before."_

_Draco seemed to ponder this. "Well...I guess I can tell you one instance..." he finally said._

_I readjusted my legs and settled down, waiting to hear the story. "Okay, go on." _

_ Draco sighed. ____"It was during last summer..."_

* * *

**___1996 - Summer before sixth year_**

**___Draco POV_**

_"Ivan! Linessa!" my mother greeted merrily, "Welcome back!"_

_Christina's parents nimbly exited the fireplace and greeted my parents with firm handshakes._

_"How was your vacation?" Narcissa asked._

_"Oh, wonderful! I'll tell you all about it," Linessa replied, smiling. That smile disappeared, however, when her eyes found her daughter. "Christina," she nodded, looking Christina up and down. "Did you cause any trouble?"_

_"No," Christina answered, her voice bland and void of any emotion._

_You know, at times I wondered what it would be like to have a mother who didn't care at all, but then I realized...why should I care about that? Miro made her own choices, and she had to face her own consequences._

_Christina's mother eyed her suspiciously before looking over to my parents, her expression clearly showing that she was seeking affirmation of her daughter's answer._

_"She was fine," my mum spoke, her tone indifferent. "No problems."_

_But this was where my father cut in._

_"Actually," he began, eyeing Christina and I carefully. "There was an incident that you will soon hear about, Ivan. But I'd like to be the first to tell you."_

_Ivan looked slightly curiously. "Go on, Lucius."_

_"I will let Draco tell you, Miro. It happened to be his doing."_

_I paled quickly as all eyes turned to me. "Mr. Miro," I started, trying to keep my tone polite. "Your daughter and I went to Diagon Alley yesterday."_

_Christina's father's eyes widened minutely, and I knew that he had been aware of the plans._

_I continued quickly, "When the Death Eaters attacked, some of them focused on Christina. One of them thought they remembered her from the Department of Mysteries. I didn't know what their intent was, but before they were able to attack her again, I stopped them. I told them that she was your daughter. They didn't attack further."_

_Christina's parents were staring at me with mixed emotions, and I really couldn't decipher them. I was really starting to regret this whole thing. Why couldn't I just let her face the Death Eaters? Why did I have to intervene?_

_"Did you specify to the Death Eaters which daughter they were dealing with?" Christina's father asked icily._

_I shook my head no._

_Ivan clenched his jaw. "I'm assuming that she knows?"_

_"Knows what? That you condemned me to death in your eyes?" Christina asked harshly from my side. "Oh yes, I know."_

_"You watch how you talk," Ivan reprimanded his daughter. "It shouldn't come as a surprise," he continued. "You've left us with no choice."_

_"There is always a choice," Christina snapped. "You're just weak."_

_Oh Merlin she was going to cause an even bigger mess. Why couldn't she keep her mouth from spurting out rubbish for a second? I grabbed onto her arm sharply, trying to make my warning clear. "Christina, you need to stop," I hissed urgently._

_Christina pulled her arm out of my grasp. "No! They are going to listen to me," she said stubbornly, locking eye contact with her father._

_Merlin, here it comes! She's going to be the death of me, I swear._

_"You're pathetic. Both of you. I highly doubt either of you are prepared to die for your cause, but you want me to, huh? But you will never win. You wanna know why?" Christina asked sarcastically. "You fight for yourselves rather than for each other. Every pathetic, unreliable, scared man for himself. And you will fail. I will make sure of it. You'll have to live the rest of your life knowing that your own daughter bested you."_

_Christina's father abruptly grabbed her by the front of her sweater, pulling her closer to him roughly._

_I almost made a move for them – almost. The contact was so sudden, that's all._

_Ivan leaned into Christina's face threateningly. "You are no daughter of mine."_

_Christina refused to back down, though she damn well should. "Deny it all you want, but I am your flesh and blood! You can never change that, and neither can I. But the difference between you and I is that you see me as your weakness, and I see you as my strength. You both have shown me true evil, and now I know I have the power to destroy it," She closed her eyes. "And when you're rotting in Azkaban I hope you remember that your worst treatments ultimately became my greatest strengths."_

_Christina's father pushed her away so forcefully that she fell onto her rear. No one made a move to help her up, but I didn't expect them to._

_Slowly Ivan's eyes left Christina's and locked with mine._

_"Linessa, take her upstairs, please," he instructed, nodding towards Christina. "Lucius, would you bring Draco and come with me?"_

_I got a sudden tightness in my throat._

_My father seemed to understand his request, but his eyes were momentarily hesitant, for some reason._

_"Where are you taking Draco?" I heard Christina ask sharply, still on the floor._

_"You will not speak," her father practically hissed, and good too, because I was abou to say the same thing. Her big trap had already gotten us into enough trouble, and now it was falling onto my shoulders. "Lucius," Ivan gave my father an expectant look, and he suddenly began ushering me towards the fireplace._

_"Draco, Draco don't-" Christina tried to speak to me, but I didn't even acknowledge her. I couldn't. So I simply followed my father to the fireplace. He still didn't even look at me as Ivan used the floo powder and shouted the name of a place I didn't recognize._

* * *

_We arrived in another floo fireplace in a different house. Ivan seemed familiar with his surroundings as he promptly exited the fireplace and waited for my father and I to follow. _

_"Come along, Draco," Lucius murmured quietly, and I felt him push me out of the fireplace._

_I stepped into the main room; it was a large living room of some sort, with expensive looking couches and other furniture around. It was dark, though, and empty. I honestly had no idea where I was, but I wasn't about to ask._

_My stomach started to get an unfamiliar butterfly feeling, like you'd get if you were nervous, or scared, or perhaps even in love. But right now, it was for the first two reasons._

_My father and I followed Ivan further into the house, and in a different room, I saw a few figures clad in all black._

_I knew who they were immediately, or rather, what they were._

_Death Eaters._

_Well, that gives me a bit of a clue as to where we are...a Death Eater hideout._

_"Ivan," one of the men spotted him at the entrance of the room. "Ivan, what brings you here at this time?"_

_"There are matters to discuss," Ivan said evasively, and his fellow Death Eaters didn't try to pry for more information._

_That gave me a realization. Ivan must be a rather important and supreme Death Eater if all the others respected and even possibly feared him. He was definitely higher up than I originally thought, and definitely higher than my own father._

_For some reason, I felt a twinge of jealously. Christina could be powerful, even more so than my family and I, but she continuously and vehemently denied any ties to her family or this life. She didn't know what she was missing. I inwardly shook my head._

_The Death Eater must've finally noticed our presence, then. "Lucius," he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"_

_Another Death Eater behind him sneered. "I didn't think you of all people would show your face around here anytime soon. The boss ain't too happy with you."_

_That remark I understood. My father had failed the Dark Lord. He was supposed to retrieve something at The Department of Mysteries, and failed to do so. Even I knew that my father was in hot water. So that raised the question...why were we here right now?_

_"I understand," my father finally spoke, his voice hoarse. "Ivan has requested for us to accompany him here."_

_My father's use of 'us' must've caught the man off guard because he quickly looked behind my father. His eyes fell on me._

_"This is?" the Death Eater asked, curiously._

_"My son, Draco," Lucius replied cautiously._

_The Death Eater looked me over, and I tried not to snarl at him._

_"So this is young Malfoy, eh?" the second Death Eater spoke up. "Is he as worthless as his father?"_

_"Quiet, Yaxley!" Ivan hissed, and Yaxley reluctantly held his tongue. "Your commentary isn't wanted or necessary," Ivan's face slipped back into the expressionless mask it usually was as he dusted off his shirt nonchalantly. "Where our Lord?"_

_Now I started to get really nervous. I'd never actually seen Voldemort before...what did he look like? What did he sound like? Was he ugly looking? Normal looking? I didn't know and surprisingly I didn't want to find out, at least not right now. I sensed that I was in trouble now, or at least my father was._

_And if I knew anything, I knew that Lord Voldemort was feared. And for a good reason. He was never known to be very forgiving or nice...at all._

_"He's busy," Yaxley replied to Ivan's question._

_"Too busy to hear this matter?" Ivan asked._

_Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice sounded at the other end of the room. "Fear not, Miro, for I am here."_

_Voldemort, or who I thought to be Voldemort, came into view at the opposite end of the dining room table. He was...hideous. Like a snake. He was essentially a snake in human form. His nose was two slits, his mouth twisted and thin, and his eyes...his eyes were oval and red. Mesmerizingly horrifying._

_I felt like if I looked into them for too long I would burn away my entire essence. My entire soul. I had to look away before I visibly shook from fear._

_"My Lord," Ivan said quickly, his voice low and respectful. All others in the room, including my father, bowed their heads, so I felt it necessary to do the same._

_How should I act around him? How should I talk? I would just have to act confident and look to my father and the other Death Eaters for hints._

_Ivan lifted his head slowly. "My Lord, there is a matter I feel should be brought to your attention."_

_"Is there?" Voldemort questioned in a subdued voice, holding no emotion. I got an inkling that he was the type of person – or monster – that kept his face and voice blank so that no one could ever know what he was thinking._

_"My Lord, what happened in Diagon Alley-" Ivan was cut off when Voldemort made a small noise, finally noticing my father and I._

_"Lucius," Voldemort drawled out heatedly. "I would not have expected you here."_

_"This was my doing, My Lord, I brought-"_

_"Silence!" Voldemort hissed, interrupting Ivan again. "I was talking to Malfoy."_

_Ivan bowed his head in respect. Voldemort turned back to Lucius._

_"Why are you here, Lucius?" Voldemort's voice was now cold, and I had to amend my last thought. He was also the type of person that would allow you to see what he was thinking and feeling only when he wanted you to._

_"Ivan asked my son and I to accompany him here. There seems to be a matter to discuss," Lucius spoke and bowed his after directly after. Just in case, I did the same._

_When I looked up, however, my gaze locked with Voldemort's. He was looking straight at me._

_I felt like I was going to vomit. I had never been this scared in my life. I hated this feeling, this feeling of uncontrollable fear. Was my father going to get out of here alive? Was I? I wasn't in control of the situation, and it scared the hell out of me._

_Voldemort slid his gaze from me and turned back to Ivan. I blew out a silent breath._

_"What about Diagon Alley, you say?" he asked Ivan. "Did everything go according to plan?"_

_"Some of the men you sent were attacked, it was unexpected," Ivan explained._

_Voldemort seemed to raise a nonexistent eyebrow. "So, it was a failure? Ollivander and Florean weren't captured?"_

_Ivan shuffled quietly, "No, they were. It's just that-"_

_Voldemort made an impatient noise. "That was the main purpose. If that was successful, then I have no further interest in any fool who thought they could take on my power. I suspect they were killed?" Voldemort asked lazily. When he received no answer, however, he looked up at Ivan and my father curiously. "It didn't happen to be Potter, did it?"_

_"No, My Lord. It wasn't the Potter boy. It was..." Ivan trailed off uncomfortably. "Christina."_

_Voldemort squinted his eyes, trying to think where that name sounded familiar. Suddenly, it clicked. "Your daughter, Christina, yes?"_

_Ivan nodded ashamedly. "But she is no daughter of mine. She is nothing to me, to my family," he explained urgently._

_Voldemort stared at him. "So quickly you turn again your own blood. So quickly. Would you turn against me that quickly?" he asked with dark amusement. Ivan froze, not knowing how to answer him._

_That was another thing I noticed about Voldemort...he was sick, twisted. He liked to play mind games. I could bet my entire fortune that he could make you lose your mind without even using a single spell._

_Ivan was saved when Voldemort continued. "Was she killed?" he asked, not really caring one way or another. In the end everyone who opposed him would end up dead._

_"No, My Lord," Ivan replied. "The Malfoy boy came to her aid," he added quickly._

_Oh the fear, it was back, tenfold._

_Voldemort gazed at me slowly. "Did he now?" he questioned. I got shivers down my spine. "Like father and son."_

_I didn't know the depth of that comment, but I could be assured that it wasn't complimentary._

_"My Lord, please..." My father spoke up suddenly, and I had no idea what he was begging for._

_"Are you pleading with me, Lucius?" Voldemort asked. "You don't deserve to plead. Your failure has cost me dearly...I put my faith in you, and you failed. You failed. I should kill you where you stand."_

_I heard my father's breathing nearly stop, and I could assure you mine was heading that way._

_"But..." Voldemort spoke again. "I can foresee another way for you to be helpful to the cause, Lucius," a dark sneer found its way upon Voldemort's lips._

_"Anything, My Lord. If there's anything I can do-"_

_"Oh no but it's nothing you can do," Voldemort interrupted my father. "Actually..." he turned his cold gaze towards me, and I froze, knowing this wouldn't be good. "I'm going to need some assistance from young Draco here."_

_A cold shiver ran through me and I could feel my body go into fight or flight mode. But against all of my better instincts and my body's warnings, my feet stayed firmly planted on the floor._

___I was afraid, I was terrified, and there was nothing I could do about it._

* * *

_**1997 - Present**_

_**Christina POV**_

_"So there, that was a time I was very afraid. I can't believe I even told you that," Draco shook his head with disbelief. _

_I quickly wiped away some of the tears that had fallen from my eyes after hearing his story. I could literally feel the fear radiating off him, and it broke my heart. "That's not the end, is it? There's more?" I asked, my voice cracking slightly._

_Draco froze, "That's all I'm going to tell you, Christina. Please don't push," He looked down at me emphatically and noticed the tear stains on my face. "Why are you crying?" he asked softly._

_"Because," I said, not knowing what else to say. "You were with him...you're..."_

_"I'm okay," Draco assured, but I could tell this topic was uncomfortable for him._

_"You're not okay, how could you be okay?" I asked incredulously._

_Draco's arms wrapped around me tightly, and I felt his head burrow into my neck. "If I'm with you, love, I'm okay," he murmured._

_I had to laugh at that. "Don't think you can say sweet things and call me love and things will suddenly be okay," I reminded him._

_"What? It isn't working?" Draco asked with false surprise._

_I laughed again, before relenting. "It's a start...baby."_

* * *

I always got lost in my thoughts and memories, but this time I was glad it was a happy one, even though there were some tears. But it was still one of the happier ones.

Spending time with Draco made me happy, plain and simple. _Draco_ made me happy.

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter, done. A lot of flashback, and a little fluff. Thought it was a good time for that. And there were flashbacks during a flashback...inception much? ANYWAY, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to the next one to come. **

**Shout out time! **

**Thank you to xXMizz Alec VolturixX, chaansan, Potterhead313, Snipe Hunter 98, Shiningheart of ThunderClan, all the Guests, Megan, Nicky-Maree, Sasha, oXxgeorgiaxXo, misslagear, Notsilveraura, Alice-Ann Wonderland, StoryWriter23, SideshowJazz1, xxLiveLoveReadxx, ThePhantomismyLove, Xylia1014, xXChickenButt98Xx, maldilove, LoveIt2, BookButterfly2, Scrt Vlntn, MrsMoonshine, bookreader1617, Maeve Epans, HermioneThatCanDraw, crazy's wat i aim 4, Nightingalelynx, MrsHarryfreakingPotter, AziniliaGraceStories, nina-eponine, Gem, Megan, Talon-Murtagh-Yassen-Sirius, The-Darkened Abyss, TheDuckKnight, yulogoi, contagious, Jordan, zomgitskaylaaa, Cerulean orbs, AlwaysTomorrow, Rue Dawn, magical origami, Brianna, WhenBothOurCarsCollide, Princess LaLaBlue, Hime Amai Senju, dogsrule1074823, RashaTemple, yourxenium, Opaleye Dragon, AmythestAgent, Silver Eyed Slayer, Hope Amber, hogwartslove777, Kiki Mcgee, Joss, and leathyde!**

**Okay after this I'm just going to mention the people that review the previous chapter, and maybe add some personal messages!**

**Anyway, onto the question...well, I received many answers, and all of them were very interesting and so was the reasoning. A lot of them made me laugh, you all are too funny. For me, I would say that D.A.D.A would be the class I think I'd be best at, because I like hands on things and I think there would be a lot of that in D.A.D.A. I would like to say Quidditch, but I'm just not athletic. LOL. **

**New question: If you went to Hogwarts during the Marauder's age, how do you think you'd act with the marauders themselves? Would you join them in pranks? Write them off as immature and ignore them? Hang with Lily instead? What do you think you'd do? R&R :D**


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